Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)
But they’re not.
Better than you, that is.
Seriously, isn’t it hard to consider others better than yourself when you know the way they live? When you hear the way they speak and see how they act? Does God really expect you to put…them before your own needs and wants?
Yep
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. (Philippians 2:1-2)
Does it show?
Does your relationship with Christ have a visible effect on who you are in the world?
Does your fellowship with other believers reflect the fellowship you have with the Holy Spirit?
It should, you know.
Let that be the focus of your prayers this morning, as you head out into a week filled with people who are not as easy to love as Jesus is.
Go and love, Beloved of Christ.
Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Philippians 1:27)
What will happen to you today?
Oh, you can probably guess a good portion of it, but you don’t really know, do you? Laughter, tears, love, anger, pain, joy, indigestion—who knows what the next hours hold?
Better question—How will you conduct yourself today?
Will your laughter be at others…or with them?
Will your tears be for yourself, or for the broken?
Will your love be selfish or selfless?
Will your anger be trivial or righteous?
And what of your pain?
And your joy?
Perhaps we need not elaborate on the indigestion.
Live worthy today, Beloved.
For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)
Is it?
Is your purpose, every day, to get closer and closer to Jesus? To bring him honor and glory with your every breath? To know him, and then know him better?
Do you look to the eventual end of your life as the fulfillment of all your earthly desires? The great graduation day when you receive all that you have earned, and all that you could never earn?
Oh, Beloved, I hope so.
As for me, I still let the mundane cloud my view of eternity far more often than I would like.
I’m going to make this verse my prayer today, with the hope that the power of the Holy Spirit will drive it deep into my soul and make it who I am.
Join me?
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Philippians 1:20)
The word that strikes me in this verse is courage. The walk of faith is not for the faint of heart. If I want my life to exalt Christ, it will take courage.
And I have so stinking little.
The other night, I encountered a man who was perhaps not entirely stable. He was sitting at a table in a coffee shop, sort of streaming consciousness to whomever might be listening. Some of what he was saying was a denial of the deity of Christ.
I knew I should talk to him, but for the longest time I just sat and tried to ignore him.
While I wrote a devotion on preaching Christ.
Why? Hard to articulate, but it comes down to fear.
Eventually, I went over and engaged him in gentle debate—if I hadn’t, I doubt that I would be sharing this with you. I didn’t change his mind, but I stood.
I take minor victories where I can get them.
Pray for me, and I will pray for you, that we will have the courage to live a life that glorifies God.
Be not ashamed, Beloved.
The important thing is that in every way, from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:18)
How will you preach Christ today?
With words?
With actions?
With tenderness, kindness, compassion?
With love?
Will you climb upon a soap box, or sit down for a quiet conversation?
You don’t need a stage, a crowd, or a microphone.
You do need a heart, a story, and the Holy Spirit within you.
And you have that.
How will you preach Christ today?
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. (Philippians 1:12-14)
I once ran over my foot with a pallet jack loaded with cases of soup.
I don’t recommend it.
The wheel of the pallet jack ran up my foot, paused ever so briefly, and returned to the ground. During its journey, it took a moment to split my big toe like a grape.
It hurt. A lot.
The guys I worked with at the grocery store gathered around and tried to help…but there’s not much you can do for a popped toe. One of them, knowing I am a Christian, offered the following: “Hey, you’re not allowed to cuss, are you? Want me to cuss for you?” He then proceeded to turn to the store at large and scream a most creative string of profanities. Fortunately for us all, the customer count was pretty low at 1:00 a.m.
I became a bit of a curiosity for the guys, because although the pain was pretty intense, I didn’t pitch a fit or curse the heavens. As it happened, from that day on they took me, and perhaps my faith, a little more seriously.
Did what happened to me serve to advance the gospel? I think, in a really truly very small way, yes.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you have never been imprisoned because of your faith in Christ. I certainly haven’t. I’d be hard pressed to show any moment in my life in which I was persecuted for the gospel. But difficult things have happened to me, just as they happen to you. The way that we respond to these difficulties shines like a beacon to the people around us.
Today, tomorrow, this week or next, something hard is going to come your way. When it happens, let it serve to advance the gospel. Let those who see you see that you are different. Maybe they’ll even ask you why you’re different.
Then you get to tell them.
I was in the 6th grade.
My class was doing some sort of choir pageant thingie. I had already had some notable successes on stage—perhaps you saw me in the 5th grade production of The Invisible Man? Well, you wouldn’t have actually seen me, given the character and all. In fact, I read the lines from off-stage and earned rave reviews from the class newspaper—On the Scene with Room 14! You could—and should—have seen me that same year portraying a giant cockroach. No, it wasn’t Kafka’s Metamorphosis. The psychiatric bill for that one would have been a bit high for elementary school. I was just a giant bug being chased by an equally giant can of Raid. Those who saw my performance were profoundly changed and/or disturbed. Ah, those public school tax dollars at work. (more…)
One thing I ask of the Lord; this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
Just to be with God. Do you ever want that? Do you ever have those moments when you get past wanting from God and just want God?
If you are anything like me, those moments are too few and too far between.
But then, the New Year is about fresh starts and making changes, isn’t it?
So, how many things are you asking God for in 2014?
How about just one?
This one.
Broken AC.