Philippians 2:25-30

Philippians 2:25-30 

English Standard Version 

  We all have to choose what we'll live for.  Many people don't make the choice -- they drift through life, never intentionally making a choice, but choosing every day, all the same.  As Christians, we're called to pick up our cross daily, to die to ourselves daily, and to live for Christ.  It's hard to choose this daily... and yet Scripture tells us that this is exactly the route that ultimately leads us into life.

  Sometimes, I try and wrap my mind around all of this, and I get a little lost.  Some days, I get a lot lost.  It doesn't make sense that I need to die so that I can live.  But then I look at the direction the world is headed, and I wonder about making choices that the world tells me make sense.  Maybe the world is where it is wrong, and the Holy Spirit is nudging me back towards life the way it was meant to be lived, back towards faithfulness, back towards design.

  May we learn how to trust, as hard as that can be, and to rest in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who invites us to die every day, that we might live.

Philippians 2:19-24

Philippians 2:19-24 

English Standard Version

  What brings you cheer?  In Christian community, Paul is telling us how he is cheered by news of his fellow Christians.  He recognizes the permanence of the community -- these aren't just people he'll spend weeks or months or years with.  As the claimed and baptized people of God, these are the people he'll be spending eternity with, so the thought of his fellow Christians brings joy to his heart -- they're striving together, and they're building something that will last forever.  

  May we think of one another as such treasures.  We are each precious to the Lord, and so we should be precious to one another, finding joy in the thought of one another, and giving thanks for the gift of community.

Philippians 2:14-18

Philippians 2:14-18

English Standard Version 

  If I asked you to make a list of sins, what would come to mind?  What would be first on your list?  

  Where would grumbling land?  What about disputing?  We'd probably put those pretty low on the list.  I bet most of us don't even think about grumbling as a sin.  But the Israelites, in their wilderness journey, filled their lives with grumbling and complaining rather than thanking God for delivering them.  

  So in the midst of a world filled with disputing and grumbling, what kind of witness will you give?  Will your life reflect the overwhelming sense of gratitude we should have towards God?  Will you let your light shine in the midst of a world often filled with darkness? 

  May we be glad and rejoice in what God is doing in our midst, and may that gratitude be contagious, that a sense of joy may pervade the communities in which we take part.

Philippians 2:12-13

Philippians 2:12-13 

English Standard Version 

 This is one of those verses that sticks with you, probably through your whole life, and every year it means something a little different.  The second verse is an important place to start, because it helps us realize that your salvation brings God pleasure.  If we can start with that orientation, then it helps us remove the anxiety, because we understand that God wants us to be saved.  When we're looking at things through that lens, then working out our salvation becomes a matter of figuring out how to accept what Christ has done moreso than trying to figure out how to achieve it.  If we're rooted in trying to achieve it, we'll always end up on a treadmill where it's always right in front of us and yet we've never done enough, because how could we ever do enough to reach perfection?

  But if the fear and trembling is rooted in awe of who God is and how awesome God is and what kind of love God has for us, then fear and trembling leads to joy, because we're so amazed at the things God has done for us.  If our journey starts with God's pleasure and then leads us to be amazed at God's love for us, it's far more likely to create in us hearts that beat for the glory of God.