We have a glorious future ahead of us, so we should stand firm. If you know there is something wonderful around the corner, then you are prepared to endure almost anything, to keep going in the face of all sorts of opposition.
Paul's instructions are not just generalities, but specific as well. He has urged us on several occasions to be of one mind, now he turns to a particular disagreement that had arisen between two women. There are a number of points to be made here. One is that this is yet another counter example to the notion that Paul was anti-women. He sees this pair as important and commends them for the their past efforts working with him. There is no mention of the what the source of contention was, and Paul is not taking sides. Sometimes there is a clear matter of principle or morality in a matter, and then we need to take a clear stand, but often a disagreement is a matter of opinion. Instead he encourages others to help them come to agreement.
We then get yet another call to rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is to be the focus of the whole of our being. Then we are called to be gentle for the Lord is near. Why does this make a difference? Think about why you become agitated when you do, why you become short-tempered. It is often because we are fearful or anxious. There is no need to be so, for the Lord is near in each and every situation. Conversely when we are confident and at peace about circumstances we are gentle and calm, not easily provoked. The Lord is near, so we should always be at peace.
Instead of losing our temper or being overwhelmed with anxiety we should pray to the Lord, and do so with thanksgiving.
Then the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ. Note that this transcends understanding. We get fretful because we cannot work out how a situation will be resolved. We do not need to do so, for God's peace goes beyond human understanding. And God can bring a peace to our minds and and our emotions in any and every situation.
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