Thus Paul begins his letter to the church at Philippi. The letter abounds in personal references. In it he has several sayings through which you get a glimpse into his inner soul, which reveal how he felt about life. Here are five of them:

1. “The things which happened unto me have fallen out unto the furtherance of the gospel” (1: 12). Nothing that befell him was considered accidental or trivial. He saw God behind all things that happened to him, believed they were working for his good and the advancement of the cause for which he labored.

2. “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (4: 11). He suffered many privations and hardships, and all sorts of abuses were heaped upon him, but he refused to let these things get him down. Whatever his circumstances, however trying, he made the best of them, felt no resentment, no bitterness, never complained.

3. “In Him who strengthens me, I am able for anything” (4:13, Moffatt). He knew he was in God’s great keeping, that he could draw on Him for strength to meet any situation. Thus he was able to face life and the world unafraid and with complete confidence of ultimate triumph over all adverse conditions and all the forces of evil.

4. “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (3: 14. He is in jail for the gospel’s sake. But he will not sit idly, bemoaning his lot. He means to keep on working. In prison he testifies for Christ to his jailers and fellow-prisoners, writes this letter to the Philippian church, and letters to other churches. He means to keep on growing in grace, pressing toward to mark of likeness to Christ.

5. “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1: 21). He is old, and sees the end near, but he has no fear. He is afraid of neither life nor death, he has the faith and courage to face up to both. As long as he lives, he will go on with his work for Christ. When death comes, he will go on to be with Christ.

Here, surely, was a wonderful way of living. The secret lies in the above sayings. The concepts and resources they disclose may be ours. If we will lay hold on them, they will lead us into the same wonderful way of living.