Paul's letter to the church in Philippi is the most loving and gentle of all of his letters. As we read through, you may notice that Paul does not scold or limit the Philippians in any way. Philippians has always been one of my favorite letters of Paul, perhaps because it is positive and hopeful.
Each chapter is packed with powerful, intimate sharing from Paul to his friends in the faith. The opening address is an immediate encouragement to me - "I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:3-6 NRSV. These words have carried me through some hard days, knowing that the one who began a good work in me would complete it reminds me that my life is now bracketed by grace! I begin, live and end in the hands of God and in the embrace of Grace. Thanks be to God.
Paul tries to encourage and bolster the Philippians in the face of the sorrow of his imprisonment and suffering. He says that this imprisonment is turning out to be a blessing! Many are more bold in their proclamation of the gospel, and even many of the guards are finding faith! Some, he says, are preaching the Gospel with bad motives, but what difference does it make if the word is proclaimed.
I am inspired by Paul's spirituality in the face of his suffering. He is looking at his life from the vantage point of eternity and not mired in the moment. This is a great call and a great challenge for me. I believe that my eternal life has already begun, and my citizenship is in heaven. However, I often live as if there is no other Kingdom than the temporal powers and my allegiances seem wobbly! I need to hear and say with Paul, "For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again." Philippians 1:21-26 NRSV.
We live in the midst of a broken world, and we must engage it and work to offer these in our influence Christ. Ultimately, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Amassing wealth or worries here seems a dis-service to God.
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3 comments:
I like verse 3-4, something that Mom often mentions about her kids.
I like how Paul says that no matter the motives that start it, proclaiming the gospel is still a benefit. That made me stop and think about those I would judge as ineffective, misguided, etc. Paul says - doesn't matter, because the good news is still preached. A good lesson.
Amen Beth.
I try to remind myself that it is not my place to correct or judge another's servant or child - all other people belong to God, and if they ask for my direction then it is appropriate for me to guide them, but unwanted judgement is not my task.
I love Philippians.
Bill
Agreed. Philippians is pretty awesome. Lots of encouragement, prayer, excitement, and stories. Not to mention the fact that he's suffering in prison and stuff, and that's enough in itself to make you realize that following Christ has become easier - and we shouldn't complain!
It is so great to know that Paul was praying so much for these people. It reminds me that we have to pray for each other constantly, knowing that the one who began a good work in us and our fellow followers will also complete it. He has all power and can do it!
I really related to those verses that you cited, particularly "I am hard pressed between the two: my desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you." We are all living with Heaven in mind, but we know that our time here on Earth does serve a purpose. We can't forget that as we live our days - it's not a race to the end but instead a continual challenge to spread the faith and remain in Christ while we were here. When it's over, I'm sure we won't want to look back and wish we'd done more...
We can do it. We have Christ.
Marshall
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