March 17 2026

Tuesday March 17

Philippians – The Joy Stealers

Psalm 51:10-12“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

As we continue to look at the message in the book of Epistle to the Philippians, I want to talk about something that affects every believer. Even though God wants us to live with joy, there are many things that can rob us of that joy if we are not careful. In John 10:10, Jesus reminds us: “The thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” If there is one thing the devil wants to steal from you, it is the joy of your salvation. Paul addresses several of these “joy stealers” in the letter he wrote to the church at Philippi.

The first one we see is selfish ambition. In Philippians 2:3, Paul writes: “Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory.” When we become focused on our own recognition, our own success, and our own importance, our joy will quickly disappear. We begin to live selfish, self-centered lives, making everything about ourselves. We live in a very humanistic culture today—especially in America—that constantly emphasizes, “It’s all about me.” That kind of thinking leads directly to selfish ambition.

Another joy stealer is complaining and arguing. Philippians 2:14 says: “Do all things without murmuring and disputings.” As you read through the Book of Proverbs, you will find repeated warnings about this. A complaining spirit drains joy from our hearts and spreads negativity to others. It only takes one bad apple in the basket to affect the rest. Negativity is contagious. You know what happens when you get around people who are negative, cantankerous, disputing, backbiting, or talebearing. The Bible warns us often about this. When the talebearer is removed, the strife ceases—just like when coals are separated, the fire goes out.

I’ll be honest—this is something I have had to watch in my own life. When I get around people with a bad attitude, I get a bad attitude about them. It is something we must all be careful about.

Another joy stealer is worldliness. In Philippians 3:18–19, Paul writes: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.” When our hearts become focused on the world instead of on Christ, our joy begins to fade. Paul says something very similar in Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Worldliness is simply living as though God is not part of our lives. That is why we are told in 1 John 2:15–16: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Another joy stealer is anxiety and fear. Philippians 4:6 says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Worry and fear can crowd out the peace and joy that God wants us to experience. Worry is like a rocking chair—you can go back and forth all day long and it gives you something to do, but it does not get you anywhere. We must be careful not to let anxiety take control of our hearts.

Finally, Paul reminds us of the importance of guarding our thoughts. In Philippians 4:8, we are told to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. If you are thinking about the things you should be thinking about, you will not be thinking about the things you should not be thinking about. If you are where you should be, you cannot be where you should not be. When we fill our minds with the right things, our hearts are strengthened and our joy increases.

So today, let us understand that there are real “joy stealers,” and we need to be aware of them. That is exactly what Paul is doing in this letter. Today, if the devil has stolen your joy please pray what David prayed in Psalm 51:10-12: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me…. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

God bless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.