As women, moms, grandmothers, we may feel studying theology and doctrine is not for us, that we can just learn those things on a Sunday morning as our pastor preaches, but can I encourage you that it is not. As my pastor, Dan Sardinas once quoted, “For a Christian to say, "I don't need to know theology because I'm not a pastor." .... is as absurd as saying, "I don't need to eat because I'm not a cook.”

Whether you’re juggling toddlers, facing a medical diagnosis, going through marriage difficulties, financial struggles, or simply walking through an ordinary mundane Monday, the message of Philippians still speaks: Joy isn’t tied to what’s happening around you. It’s rooted in the unshakable truth of the gospel and the presence of Christ. Our Prince of Peace, our humble, gentle, and meek Savior.

When my children were little, I used to tell them, “Joy is like jam—the more you spread it, the more it sticks to you.”

The apostle Paul understood this kind of sticky joy. Writing from a dark prison cell, he mentioned joy or rejoicing more than sixteen times in his short letter to the Philippians. How could he rejoice while chained and awaiting possible execution?

The body of Christ is a beautiful mix of people from all walks of life, different cultures, backgrounds, and generations, old and young alike. However, churches often tend to categorize people based on their age, just like the world does. I believe the Bible shows us a more extraordinary and beautiful perspective on life and age.