Have you ever felt like your heart had been robbed of joy? Though our problems can make us feel this way sometimes, we learn in the book of Philippians that joy is something that cannot be stolen from us. Joy is a command, and Paul tells us that we are to rejoice in the Lord always, regardless of our present circumstances (Philippians 4:4-5). If God desires for all His children to be joyful, how do we protect ourselves from losing our joy? In the final chapter of Philippians, we learn of three robbers that can steal our joy and how we can protect ourselves against them.

Worry

Worry is one of the craftiest thieves of joy. The Greek word for worry is merimnao, which means to have a divided mind due to concerns. Many of us carry anxiety or divided minds over things like money, health, relationships, or fear of what is to come, but Philippians 4:6 tells us to “be anxious for nothing”. Instead of letting worry rob you of your joy, let worry become a trigger for you to pray (Philippians 4:7). Matthew 6:31-34 reminds us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need and that He will faithfully provide for us. If we truly trust God as sovereign and as our provider, we can let go of our worries and entrust them to His care.

Wrong Thinking

What we allow our minds to focus on will eventually affect our lives. Philippians 4:8 teaches us how to think in order to maintain our joy. Instead of dwelling on lies or things that are shameful, we are called to fill our minds with things that are true, honorable, and praiseworthy. Our minds are a battlefield, and when we fill it with wrong thinking, we can easily be robbed of joy. God’s Word reminds us of the power of the mind, and it urges us to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). When we saturate our minds with the truths of Scripture, we can consciously hold on to the assurance of God’s promises to us and see our circumstances from His perspective.

Covetousness

Comparison is the death of contentment. When constantly covet what we do not have, we can make these desires our “gods” and lose our joy. Even while in prison, Paul was able to find contentment not because of what he had, but because of Who he had. He boldly declared, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”, emphasizing that his contentment did not come from material possession but from Christ alone. The antidote for covetousness is generosity – givers are happier than takers! As we generously give to those in need, we can trust that God will supply for our needs in return (Philippians 4:18).