Because That Is How We Should Stand Firm

I kind of have a feeling that this post isn't going to make much sense. My brain is a little scattered, so things aren't going to be explained as clearly. So, bear with me on this one, guys. It's just something that I felt would encourage others as well (maybehopefully).

So.

I'm not going to type out Philippians 3-4:1. But as I was reading through it all, a lot of things sort of "clicked" in my brain. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that it's stuff I've been beating into my brain for a few days now, and it just doesn't stop coming up. Again, isn't God hilarious about stuff like that? It's like, you pray about something and read in the Bible something, and then the next day at church, that's what the sermon is about.

That's been my entire weekend. Had difficulty Friday and, of course, waited till later to confront the issue. But when I finally did confront it and confess it, God put things into perspective for me and only enhanced it Saturday morning. And Philippians 3 -4:1 confirms much of what was expounded on from Saturday's service, and Friday night's battle.

But it also has more than can be added, which makes things make even more sense.

So, without further ado, let's get to it, shall we?

This may not be much of a challenge, but I want you to get out your Bible, and open it to Phil. 3. Read verses 1 - 11.

I don't know about you, but when I first read that section, I was kind of confused. What does Paul mean when he says "- though I myself have reasons for such confidence"? I mean, obviously, verses 7 - 11 are all about giving it up for Christ, because ultimately, that's the way to go, etc., etc. But those first 6 verses...huh?!

Maybe you understood it perfectly and think I'm crazy for not getting it. Maybe I've had too much caffeine, so my brain's just spazzing everywhere it can, not being able to focus and put two-and-two together.

(God, open my heart and my mind to understand.)

Then I understood: Paul, before giving his life over to Christ, had it all. He was a Pharisee, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, he had done all that a good little Jewish boy was supposed to do, knew the law like the back of his hand, he persecuted Christians, etc., etc.

He was safe.
His confidence in the "flesh" was his comfort zone.

Then Christ came to him. Good-bye comfort zone.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

Giving it up to God and letting Him take control means putting all our confidence in Him. Not in what we've done or are going to do, but in what He has done and is going to do in us to be more like Him, for His glory.

I think that's what we call living.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Everyone uses that verse for every stage in their life, and I think that's great if it's applicable. But I also think too many people take it out of that chapter, ignoring everything else (I've done it too, though).

I do want to say this: I love Paul's first sentence there, in verse 12. I can picture him saying that in a quick, sort of "Pleasedon'tthinkI'mperfectbecauseofwhatI'vesaid" kind of a way, because I try to explain things in the same way too.

Anyways, putting those verses in context with what has been said in verses 1 - 11, it's not easy to give up everything, just because one person tells you to. That was made clear in Matthew 19:16-22.

And think about it: Paul had everything. Fame, fortune, brains. Probably wasn't bad lookin' either.

Paul doesn't claim to have obtained the righteousness and perfection of Christ, but he "press[es] on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of [him]." He hasn't gotten there yet, but his attitude towards it is so in the right place.

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..."

I think we often get to that place where we've given up everything, and then feel like we don't know where to go from there because we haven't quite obtained "that which Christ Jesus took hold of" in us. We feel sort of lost, and maybe get a little negative about it because the transformation wasn't immediate. And that is so not the right attitude to have.

"All of us who are mature should take such a view of things."

Amen.

We need to put things into perspective. Understand that God's timing is not ours. When we give to all up for Christ, we need to know what we're getting into. He understands our fears, and will never forsake us. It's going to be a process, and we need to keep looking up. He has called us "heavenward", not "hellward".

It's like a quote I read by one of my favorite classic authors, Charlotte Bronte: "I try to avoid looking backward and keep looking upward."

If our attitude is negative because we're struggling with letting God control everything, He'll make it clear to us who He is, and that His will is better for us. I think we also lose sight of the goal when we associate with negative people, those who find "glory in their shame". You know who I'm talking about: the people who boast about their destructive lives, because, for some reason, they don't want to let it go. They're so comfortable in their own confidence, and that kind of attitude rubs off.

I'm the kind of person who has to be careful of what kind of friends I make, because when I'm around someone enough, their attitudes and habits seem to rub off on me. I start picking up on their quirks and phrases. I don't know why that happens, either. It just does. When I'm around a lot of negativity, it will rub off on me, and become my thought process.

That's when I lose sight of the goal. That's when I suddenly stand on shakey ground. It's like, I can't be positive around those people. I should. But I don't. Because I feel like I can't.

I don't know if that made sense, but I'm getting to the point, I promise.

So, let's review:
Giving it all to Christ = putting our confidence in Him, letting Him be in control of our lives, for us to do His will, which is to be like Him for His glory. It's not an easy task, and it's a long, day-by-day, year-by-year process. It's stepping out in faith.

Having the wrong attitude when we feel like it's not worth it will only bring us - and those around us - down. Instead, with God's help, we need to keep looking up to the Son, looking ahead instead of behind, because it's not what we've done/are going to do, it's what Christ has done and is going to do, which is He died to redeem us from our sins, and is working in us to make us more like Him.

Whenever we have the wrong way of lookin' at it, we need to stop and reflect on God, ask Him to tell us when we're not thinking straight. Then we can be an example to others, show them that there's a better way, and that's His way.

Give it up and look ahead.

Because "that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!" , with a positive outlook, living for Christ, because of Christ.

I hope that made sense. If something should be added/edited, let me know!
I hope also that nothing was taken out of context.
Those of you who read this: God bless you for your patience.

God Will Carry On

God works in the most hilarious ways.

Seriously.

Isn't it funny how you can be learning something about Him, and then you open a book, or the Bible, and that exact chapter or passage is exactly what you've been trying to get through your thick skull?
And then you talk to other people, and they're all, "What?! I've been learning that too!"

Small world, eh?

Anyways, I've been trying harder than ever to really put God first and read the Bible everyday. It's a slow process, but slow is better than nothing.

I'm finding that it's OK to stick to one passage at a time, one little section. I went through Ephesians, now I'm in Philippians. I wasn't sure where to start, so I kind of skipped around. I found nice verses that applied to my life, but there wasn't much of a direction. Even after I asked God to reveal where He wants me to start, it kind of felt like He wasn't.

But let's face it: the Bible isn't going to magically open itself to a glowing passage.
That's too easy.
And God doesn't necessarily do "easy". 'Cause then we'd never learn anything.

So I finally buckled down and just started at the beginning. Like Galinda says in The Wizard of Oz: "It's always best to start at the beginning...."
The little section title over verses 3-11 in Philippians 1 is "Thanksgiving and Prayer". (Because I just can't seem to get away from those kind of things. See? God is hilarious.)

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I 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.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

I know I'm not the only one out there who has a hard time really knowing what God wants me to do with my life. My biggest fear is missing His call and wasting my time and money doing other things, when all that time I could have been doing stuff for Him.

And there's also that fear of once I get there and answer His call, not knowing where to go or what happens next. But God doesn't call us, get us to that place once we answer, and then dump us.
Even when we don't answer the call, He's there, opening doors.

It's kind of like a quote I read in a book series I read in middle school:
"Child, God ain't waiting at no finish line. No, Jesus is running with you, caring more about the steps on the way than the big finish. Can't nobody impress God. Just look at what he created out there!" ~ Dandi Mackall, Winnie the Horse Gentler: Eager Star
I think that says it all right there.

When God starts something in our lives, He doesn't abandon it - or us. He will "carry it on to completion". Even when we think He's gone and deserted us because things are tough, we need to be confident that He never forsakes us or His call on us. I think it's important that when we feel like He's given up on us, we need to thank Him for what He's done. Sometimes, when we reflect on the good that He's gotten us through before, we realize that He will continue.

Paul's prayer for them is kind of awesome. I don't know how else to describe it. But I think it totally ties in with his statement about being confident that God will keep on keepin' on. When it seems as though we've answered the call, but He's gone off to do other things, we need to pray that we'll be filled with His love, that we will be filled with "knowledge and depth of insight", to be able to "discern what is best", by God's standards.

I guess, ultimately, that is God's will: for us to know Him, to pray with thanksgiving, to be confident that when we hear and answer His call, He will give us knowledge and clarity when we ask, because ultimately, what His call is will be for His praise and glory.

(I really hope that made sense and wasn't taken out of context.)

I think it also could be said, in addition to all this, that we should pray also for our hearts, eyes, and ears to be open to God's Word, and to all He has to show and teach us through it all.

Only God

Ephesians 1:15-23 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

When I read that, I couldn't help but think that that's not just a prayer for believers, and God's power is not just for us who believe in Him.

Let me explain myself, make this a bit clearer:

What I mean to say is that only God can open the hearts of those who need to hear His word. Only God has that power, the power that brought Christ back from the grave and gave Him dominion over all.
I think everyone needs to know that hope, but only God can open their hearts to receive it.

Also, where Paul says he has not stopped giving thanks...yet another thing about prayer. We have absolutely no excuse to not thank God for something, even if it's just the breath in our lungs.

Hopefully I haven't taken anything out of context or anything. These are just my thoughts at the moment.

Anyone else wish to expound on this?