The start of something new
Good morning, folks. Today is March 3, 2023, and as I sit here on this rainy morning doing my daily bible reading, I am compelled by what I can only assume is the holy spirit to try something new. Now bear with me as this is completely outside my wheelhouse and as it goes for knowledge of the bible, I would consider myself to be an amateur. I am going to step into a bible passage that came to me this morning. We will be discussing verses 3-11 of Philippians.
In this passage, Paul is addressing the Philippians from a prison cell in Rome around AD 60. In verses 3-6 he writes “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I will always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” I find it amazing that Paul speaks to the Philippians with such love and joy as he sits in a prison contemplating whether to “go on living in the body” (Phil. 22), or “depart and be with Christ” (Phil. 23). Often times I find myself struggling with meaningless interruptions throughout my day. I plan my day out and as soon as it doesn’t go exactly to plan, I start to get frustrated. I mean, what kind of faith and vision must Paul have to be able to sit in prison and exude such joy when I can’t even make it through breakfast without getting upset over some burnt toast? He goes on to tell the people how he longs for them with the affection of Jesus, and how they all share in God’s grace with him. Then he prays for them. For them! He sits in a prison cell, a place where no man longs to be, and prays for the Philippians! Now that is a selfless act that takes some character. Paul goes on in these next few verses to pray that their “love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,” that they “may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” As Christians, we need to understand that we all share in God’s grace. We should be displaying love for one another and seeking knowledge to better understand our relationship with God. Love and Knowledge that will help us to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
Fellow Christians, it is easy to get frustrated this day and age. It is easy to let that frustration get the best of us and convince us that we are better off not trying than trying and failing. This is what the devil wants of us. He wants us to be a broken people. He wants us to sit and sulk in our own circumstances so that we are unable to show the kind of love and joy that Paul speaks of. The kind of love and joy that will bring us together as a people in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. The kind of love and joy that points to a power greater than anything on this earth or in this life. As I have sat here this morning reflecting on these words, I realize the truth in Paul’s words. We need to love one another and pursue one another diligently in a way that strengthens our faith in Christ. I ask for your prayers and will be praying for you as well.
