Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:4-16
The first area we need to focus on before going ahead is to
REALIZE WHAT OUR VALUES ARE PLACED IN
The Apostle Paul in vs 4-7 had a long list of things he valued and boasted himself in. He tells us if anyone could have confidence in the flesh, then I could be the most confident. Paul lists all of his religious workings, his education and sociological upbringing, and all the things that made him a sought after man. He concludes this by saying it was all a loss to him after he had a personal encounter with Christ. Sometimes we place too much value on our cars, our job, our abilities, our influence and many other things. While it is not wrong to take pride in accomplishments and so forth it is not good when God takes a back seat to them. For Paul it was an inward struggle, but it was also and outward one too. Much the same you and I face such struggles everyday with things that compete for our attention towards God. Paul also realizes that there is a goal set before him that he should follow after. That goal in knowing and becoming more like Christ was so much more important now then all the other things that used to command him.
Question: Are there things, people, status etc that supersedes your relationship to God? Do you give God a spare minute of your day, or do you fully devote a good portion of your day to talk to God and think about Him?
The second area, possibly the most important of the three is,
DON'T LET THE PAST STIFLE THE FUTURE
Paul says in vs 13 that he forgets all the things which are behind him in the past so that he may reach to things God has set before him. The past in our lives can be our worst enemy. The Devil will constantly accuse us (Rev. 12:10) of our wicked deeds. We can so much listen to the voices of the past and see the imagery that we forget Romans 8:1 that there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. The longer we listen to our past sins that have been forgiven the more deeper into despair we sink. Thus, the less effective we become for Christ because we have let the ineffective past hinder our productive future. We play right into Satan's hand when we don't forget the past. Now of course if we have unconfessed sin we cannot forget that, we need to confess that. Once forgiven then we can forget it, because we know that God has forgotten it as well (Hebrews 10:17). Don't let the old man chain you down and render you ineffective.
Another area of the past that may not be as dark but still keeps us down is resting on our old victories. Christians can be too lax in wanting to rest on our laurels of past acts of faith and works and not be productive now. Paul stresses on an ongoing relationship with Christ that is forward in its goal. Paul doesn't stress being comfortable and lax but always in pursuit of God and spiritual victory in vs. 14. The most dangerous thing we can do as a Christian is NOTHING, to sit and not be effective is what the Devil wants, and what better trap than to be satisfied with ourselves to the point of being idle.
Question: Is there some dark stain in your past that is keeping you from serving and having joy in Christ? Is there some spirit of being idle and content on old victories that keeps you from Christ?
The last area we need to build upon is
TO ACKNOWLEDGE GOD'S WAY AS THE ONLY WAY
To some of us if not most this would seem like a no brainer thought. However in actions we show ourselves differently. Whenever we listen to popular talk shows or listen to an unsaved persons views on life all that begins to seep in to our souls and without proper nourishment and grounding in God's Word we begin to drift. The Jews had a difficulty in this. They took the law of God and added in their own laws and called them God's laws too. We as Christians need to know that even though we say there is no other way, we need to live that there is no other way. Any time we let God's ways be substituted for something else we lose our focus, and if long enough time passes we get discouraged and disillusioned.
Paul talks about in vs 15-16 about being perfect, or, that is to say being mature in the faith. He talks of this because there were some who gave in to thinking there may be multiple ways to godliness. Paul says we need to be on the same rule or mark and have the same mind, if there is anyone who thinks differently then God will reveal its fallible state to us. God loves us too much for us to go astray without correction. But the meat of the meaning in these verses I believe is that we walk in unity and be unified in Christ. When are on the same page spiritually with Christ we are unified. We have the same mind and heart of Christ, we have the same desires for the good of others, we desire to know and worship God in place of something or someone else. What an easy thing to miss when we subtly go after something that apparently seems more attractive in the world, but ends in despair.
Question: Is there some area of your life that is not surrendered to God's ways? Do you think perhaps there could be an area which you feel God's ways may not be the best ways?
This week, ponder these things in your heart. Ask yourself, "Is my foundation for living built on these principles? Do I become easily shaken because there are some areas of life not founded on the Word of God? To be honest, we all from time to time drift away, but that does not make it okay or acceptable. We need to realign our thinking and our ways with God's. If we don't we will be a miserable person and ineffective for Christ.
Thank You Lord that You have provided us instructions on how to live. Help us to take on the example of Paul in this passage and let our life be as effective for you as it can be. In Your Name we ask, Amen.
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