A Life Worthy

Do everything without complaining or arguing… (Philippians 2:14)

Remember, Paul’s talking to the Church here.  These are believers, Christ followers, ambassadors of hope in a really sad, perverse, messed-up world.

Kinda like ours.

Beloved, look at the news.

Look out the window.

This is a time to remember what unifies us, not what pulls us apart.  Yes, there are non-negotiables of the faith–the nature of God, and of Man, and of the Word–but they are comparatively few. Most of the things that separate us are not essential to the core of life with Christ.  And while we bicker, the world is blown further and further from the Truth.

As an old pastor of mine would say, there are elephants and there are peanuts.  Deal with the elephants, and don’t worry about the peanuts.

Happy Friday, Beloved

…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose  (Philippians 2:13)

Let’s face it–without the Holy Spirit, not only are you not able to be the person God’s called you to be,

You don’t even want to be.

He gives you the desire to follow him, and then he equips and enables you to follow him.  He gives you the desire to glorify him, and then he provides the strength and opportunity to do it.

So that part where you feel like you’re not strong enough, or brave enough, or good enough, or wise enough, or dedicated enough?

That’s irrelevant.

God hasn’t called you to be anything

except his.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

…to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:11b)

It was all for the Father’s glory.

Exalted to the highest place…

given the name above all names…

every knee bowing…

every tongue confessing him Lord…

All of it

Looking back at these verses, it seems that Christ’s whole purpose was to obey, and by obeying glorify, the Father.  Yes, he came to die for us, but isn’t that also serving the higher purpose of glorifying God? He came, he died, he rose, to bring the Father glory.

For God so loved the world that he sent his Son…

Never has there been a life more worthy.

So, Beloved of Christ.  What within you is “to the glory of God the Father?”  What within you cries out to obey, and by obeying glorify, him?

Listen to that something.

Follow that something.

Happy Monday, Beloved

…that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in Heaven, on Earth, and under the earth… (Philippians 2:10)

We’re not real big on kings here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Bowing the knee to anyone sort of sticks in our collective craw. After all, we fought a revolution to chuck the King of England over the side of the boat, and we haven’t missed him much.  We’re an independent, self-sufficient, stand-on-your-own-two-feet kind of people.

But we’re gonna bow—all of us.

Californians will bow.

New Yorkers will bow.

Republicans will bow.

Democrats will bow.

Angels will bow.

Demons will bow.

Your neighbor will bow.

The idiot driver who cut you off will bow.

You, my friend, will bow.

The question of the day is this: How does that make you feel?  Do you

(A) shift uncomfortably at the thought of giving up the last wisps of the illusion of independence,

(B) tremble with joy at the thought of finally kneeling before the king of the universe, or

(C) offer a halfhearted “cool” and go about your business?

Far be it from me to intrude, but may I suggest that if your answer is anything other than (B) you spend some time in conversation with the One to whom you will one day bow?  It might make the whole experience more pleasant.

Just a thought for your Thursday.

Happy Day, Beloved.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place…  (Philippians 2:9a)

This is profound and utterly beyond me.

The word “Therefore” indicates to me that Jesus was exalted as a result of his obedience to the Father.  Yet he was raised to the position that was already his very nature—the position he gave up when he came to us as a man.  Why could he not simply claim by right that which was his from eternity? He could have, of course. He chose not to.  He chose to follow the path of sacrifice and submission.  I am continually amazed, not only by Christ’s power, but by his willingness to restrain that power.  I have no doubt that, if I were in his place (as unlikely an image as you’re ever gonna get), I would not have waited for the Father to exalt me.  I would have exalted myself.

Reason #42 to be glad I’m not God.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.