Putting down the mirror

In our Philippians study this week we looked at  Paul’s charge to unity through following the example of Christ.  As I read through Philippians 2:1-11 three verses kept jumping out at me.


3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Plain and simple.  As Christians we are to have the right motive, be humble, and be others-focused.  Easy right?!   No, not easy because that is not what comes natural to us as human beings.  We are prone to be self-seeking, to have a "what's-in-it-for-me" attitude.  This is where we need to depend on the Holy spirit to convict us and allow him to lead us.  I have been trying to regularly ask myself these three questions:

Why am I  doing this?

Who am I promoting: myself or God?

How can I bring joy to (name of another person)?

Do my answers to these questions always match up to God's commands to not be selfish, conceited and to be others focused?  Unfortunately no, but through God's grace and in His strength I can keep trying!  It is a constant battle to be intentional in these areas, but the rewards are a joyful life!

What I love is that God doesn't just give us a command here and leave us, he gives us an example to follow.  "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ."  Christ.  Fully God. Fully servant.  COMPLETELY others- focused! 

We have a choice, to live life looking in a mirror, focused on "ME! ME! ME!" or to live life looking through binoculars focused on Christ and others.  One will bring immediate, short-lived satisfaction, the other will bring lasting joy.  God, help me to put down my mirror!  What about you?  What choice will you make?

Head over to Do Not Depart to join the discussion and see what others learned this week!

Digging in: God's purpose

 
Have you ever had a delicious, flavourful dish, maybe something you have eaten for the first time... you are not quite sure what's in it but you really enjoyed it? You eat it very slowly, enjoying every morsel and then you ask the person who prepared it how they prepared it.    "Wow, I didn't realize there was nutmeg in there...I was wondering what that flavour was...  yes, I could tell you used garlic, I love garlic...  "

I am having a similar experience with the book of Philippians.  I am pulling the verses apart bit by bit, chewing on every word, studying each passage in context, exploring word meanings, understanding about the audience Paul was speaking to... the flavours of the book are coming alive.

In week four of the study I have joined at Do Not Depart  we looked at Philippians 1:27-30.  Here we find several commands culminating in God's purpose in our suffering.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. 

Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ-

Paul uses the term politeuesthe which means to live as a citizen.  Philippi was a Roman colony so the Phillipians would understand this.  Though they did not live in Rome, they,  as citizens of Rome enjoyed the benefits of being Roman, dressed like Romans, spoke like Romans and followed Roman laws.  Likewise, we are to be so in regards to heaven.   We must live as if we are in heaven, representing heaven.  Sometimes, living in this world our thoughts and actions can get influenced by the society we live in, we must constantly examine our conduct and measure it against the standard of the Gospel.   

Stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man- 

We are to be unified as believers.  contending or striving together.  The word in the Greek is sunathlountes from two words:

sun- with,  joined close, in close identification with

and

athleo- engage, compete, in an (athletic) contest.  It is from the word which means to wrestle.

We are not only to be united when things are going well but we have to wrestle together.. fight together.. work hard together with other believers.  We have to be on the same team.  One of the areas of my life that I have opportunity to apply this is in my marriage.  Marriage is what God has set up in this life to be a picture of Christ's relationship to the church.  While my husband and I may not always see eye to eye, we have a responsibility to God, each other and other believers to be united... to strive together to bring glory to God.  No matter what, we are on the same team! The miracle of bringing two different people together as one will be a testimony to those around us... it will defeat the enemy who is seeking to destroy families... to tear apart marriages, to make our society more and more unstable.  We have victory over the the the devil when we fight together! 

Lastly, this passage tells us that we are called to suffer for Christ.  SUFFER?? It actually says charizomai- we have been given grace (God extending himself to us) not only to believe in Christ but to suffer for Christ.  GOD'S PURPOSE?  To bring honour and glory to him... If I change my perspective and see suffering as a blessing I can then more freely trust God to bring me through the suffering.   How awesome is that?!

This week we are on to chapter two.  I can't wait to dig in!  What have you been feasting on?  What tasty morsels have you unwrapped this week?  Let me encourage you to "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" (Psalm 34:8) 

It's not about me

Week 3 of the Philippians study focused on Paul's desires as we studied chapter 1 verses 19-26.

Here are some notes I made through out the week:

vs. 19 

For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

Power is supplied through prayer.  Paul expected that the Philippians church would pray for him. He was depending on their prayers.
Application:  Do I lift up my spiritual leaders in prayer? Am I faithful in my praying, can others depend on me to pray for them?

vs 21- 26

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

In this familiar passage what jumped out at me was the two objects of Paul's desires regarding his deliverance.  He knew he would be taken out of his present circumstance two ways... death or a physical release from captivity.

Death meant a departure from this physical, sinful earth to be with his Saviour, Jesus Christ his first object of desire.  He saw this process of death not a something to be feared but as the necessary  process to the ultimate reward of a fruitful Christian life- eternity with Christ. 

His second desire is for others... to live his life to point others towards Christ.  He knew his remaining in the flesh would be better for the spiritual development of others. 

What was glaringly absent to me, as I read and reread this passage several times throughout the week was any desire for his own comfort. His ambition in life was to please Christ and serve others.  Period.

Application:  So much of my time is spent seeking after things to make my own life comfortable, more enriched, more entertained... seeking that perfect life with access to all physical comforts available in this world.  

I should be focused on Christ first and then on serving others and pointing them towards Christ. 

Are my pursuits in life lined up with this truth or is my life being lived for myself?

My prayer is that when I depart this life, I will not have been all about me.

What has God been teaching you this week as you have studied his word?

Living sold out {with JOY}

Am I sold out for Christ?
       Would I be willing to be imprisoned for the sake of the gospel?
                          Is my goal in life to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ?
What is my motivation for ministry... love or selfish ambition?

These are some of the questions I faced this week as I continued my journey through Philippians.

The focus of week 2 was God’s Purpose in Paul’s Imprisonment :Philippians 1: 12- 18

Here are some truths I gleaned:

verses 12- 14

12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Paul defended the gospel of Christ whatever it cost him and he served in a way that encouraged others to live life in the same manner-- courageously and fearlessly.

Is it clear to all around me that I live my life for Christ?  

Even during the challenging times? 

Are others encouraged to live for Christ by looking at my life?

 verses 15- 18

 15It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.^c 18But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice

God's word is more powerful than human agenda and he can use any circumstance to bring glory and honour to himself.

Paul can rejoice even in hard times... his joy comes from serving God... it is a DECISION to be joyful (he has decided ahead of time that he will "continue to rejoice", not knowing what lies ahead).

What is my motivation for serving God?
                         LOVE or SELFISH AMBITION?
                                           Am I choosing to rejoice?
                                                 ... even during the challenging times?
                                                                         

Have you met with God this week? What has He taught you this week as you have dug into his Word?  Remember it is life changing!

Click here to see what others are learning on this journey through Philippians.

Verse by Verse, Word by Word...

 
I am studying the book of Philippians...
                     very slowly...

                      and memorizing it...
                                       even more slowly.

But I am enjoying every verse, every word.  It is  a complete change of pace from reading the bible in 90 days!  I I have been reading through chapter one for almost a month (trying to memorize it for even longer... this mommy brain is truly getting a work out!) 

Katie from Do Not Depart has started a Bible Study on the Book of Philippians.  The plan is to go through the book over 12 weeks using a study guide which you can find here on Inspired to Action.  In addition Katie will be sharing her thoughts on the weekly reading.

Here are some of my thoughts from this week's reading:

Phil: 1:1-4

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers^a and deacons:

2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 

1. vs 1 Paul saw himself as a servant of Jesus Christ- a servant,  (Greek: douloi) one who belongs to someone else with out ANY ownership rights of their own.I kept asking myself " Am I that committed to Christ?"  With Christ it is all or nothing, you can't be a partial servant.  My prayer is that I will completely surrender to Christ in EVERY area of my life.
2. vs 2 My master is one who gives grace and peace:
1. Grace- (Greek: charis)  means God freely extending himself--- giving himself    away to us.  Doesn't that paint a beautiful picture? That is exactly what Christ did on the cross- gave himself away.. how then can I not surrender to him?
2. Peace- (Greek: eirene from eiro): to join/ into a whole.  Peace is God's gift of wholeness.  I LOVE THAT... I can be whole through God.  When I am stressed out, feeling overwhelmed, sick, tired...  I have to remember God makes me WHOLE!
3. vs 3 Paul is thankful (Greek: eucharisteo) and joyful (Greek: chara) in his thankfulness. Notice the Greek?- Grace- charis, Joy- chara: both found in thankfulness- euCHARISteo.  I can find joy and grace in giving thanks.  It is no accident that I am reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts and keeping a gratitude journal at the same time that I am studying Philippians- that is truly God directed!

There was so much more I gleaned this week but don't have time to share!  Why don't you dig in for yourself and allow the Word to transform you.   God's word is truly ALIVE and becoming more and more precious to me... verse by verse, word by word.



Rusheika

Lessons from Life #1: Stay on Track

Marcus is 10 months old now and one of the things he does is crawl around, following me around the house like little ones tend to, especially when he wants something.  He will also crawl to me when I call his name and motion for him to come to me.  This evening I wanted him to follow me from the kitchen to the living room.

"Come with Mommy, Marcus!"
         He started off strong... looking right at me, smiling and bounding towards me...

...about three steps later something on the floor caught his attention.

Again I called and motioned " Come Marcus, follow Mommy!"
                 He looked up smiled and continued to follow...

... until two steps later something else caught his attention and he was about to circle around and go the other way.

                                  "No Marcus, come this way!"

This continued on, stopping and starting for several more steps until eventually I bent down and picked him up and carried him to the couch.

As I reflected on that it made me think of my spiritual journey.

God calls me to something, maybe a ministry, a job he has for me, a discipline or habit he wants to form in my life.   At first I happily follow with energy and vigor... full steam ahead!

      Then sometimes I get distracted along the way.  I get tired, life gets in the way.  I take my eyes off my Father.

                   He calls me back to Him.

Over and over.
     
        He never gets tired.
               And when the journey gets long or difficult
                                       He gently reaches down and carries me. 

Can you relate?  Have you been distracted lately?

                    Focus on God.
                              He will restore you and renew your strength.
                                                                         He will keep you on track


"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Heb 12:2

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

No Pain...No Gain: Persevering in prayer

Prayer is hard work... it is like a muscle that needs to be developed.. no pain, no gain.

This has become so evident to me over this past week.  I have joined the prayer challenge to pray intentionally for my sons in several areas for 21 days ( all the weekdays in April).  This is based on the book Warrior Prayers.

I would like to say that this has been a smooth process... it should be easy to pray for our kids right?  There have been mornings that I have not wanted to get out of bed but this type of intentional praying needs time.  So many times in the past, I have been satisfied with uttering rushed, hurried and often unfocused prayer before I begin my day.   Oh but God desires and deserves so much more from us.

Using God's word to pray for my boys has also highlighted areas in my life that God is still working on.  As I prayed through topics like obedience, purity, and pride, I was praying these things for my life as well.  The will learn so much by watching my life... I don't want to lead them astray because my actions are not lined up with the things they are learning in God's word.

One verse that stood out to me so significantly over these first 6 days of the challenge is Hebrews 13:17a

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. 




                            keeping watch over your souls





These are the words that jumped off the page at me.  I am keeping watch over their precious souls.  What a huge responsibility!

What also struck me from this verse is that as parents we should be mindful of who else is leading our children, and to pray for them to also lead lives pleasing to God as they too are keeping watch over my kids' souls.

I look forward to the next 15 days of the challenge and pray that it will continue to transform my prayer life to be more intentional.  I pray that I will learn to persevere in prayer even when it is hard work!


See what others are learning through this challenge.