"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
First off, I apologize to any following that this is late. Rough couple days at home with sleep. Quite appropriate considering the verse I finally am getting to today. All things right now includes getting through the day and managing the day to day of a new child and preparing to go back to work. What the verse tells me is that I can do it. It is positive and confident action. The verse removes the opportunity for doubt or negativity (which I struggle with). When it is Christ who is providing the strength, nothing is impossible. Whether it be the overwhelming day to day or some extra difficult one time event, quoting those who I admire that say it, "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." That is becoming my mantra right now.
The important thing for me to remember in this verse is that it is not by my strength. That means I need to be leaning harder than ever on Jesus. I struggle with that. I so frequently try to do it myself. Just suck it up and get through it (usually with much more complaining than is necessary). I need to submit to His leading, His wisdom, His strength. When He leads and provides, I know I can do it. I need to start to see each and every part of every day as His leading and rely on His strength and wisdom to overcome and excel in each of those situations.
Sean
Monday, April 23, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Day 5- Philippians 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
I was so excited to see this verse as today's subject. It is one half of my favorite piece of scripture. I am not exactly sure why it is a favorite as I struggle with it a lot. Even though I have engaged this particular verse literally hundreds of times, I still found something new.
I like that the verse is active. It starts out with the word "do." By its very nature it is practical. Due to the fact that it is in the word of God, I also believe that it makes it possible. That is an amazing thing since the next thing it says is not to worry about anything. I often seem to worry about most everything except when I am intently focused on not worrying and trusting God.
The "anything" and "everything" of this verse is reminiscent of our previous study on Day 2 with the word "whatever" from Philippians 1:27. Again, it brings to mind the day-to-day, extraordinary, intriguing, fascinating, boring, happy, sad, tremendously difficult, extremely easy, and all that is between. In all of that, don't worry and be thankful.
Thankful for what? Our blessings? The things we learn? The difficulties themselves? The joys AND sorrows? I think the answer to all the above is "YES!" That, once again, seems impossible. How can you be thankful when you lose a job? How can you be thankful when someone else receives all the things you ask for? How can you be thankful when the loved one does not get well? How can you be thankful for dirty dishes and no time to wash them? How can you be thankful for having to do it all alone? How can you be thankful when the one you love dies, is dying, or leaves you all alone? That is heavy stuff.
I believe the verse tells us how. It says by prayer and petition. What is that? Prayer is taking it to God, talking to him about it, and trusting Him with it. I think most of us understand in general what prayer is. Maybe we are struggling with the types of prayer or how to do it or what it's purpose truly is, but we get that it is intended to be communicating with our Heavenly Father.
What about petition, though? As I have reflected on this I have come to several of my own conclusions. First, I believe that petition is to bring it over and over as long as it is on your heart. It makes me think of the story in Luke 18 where Jesus tells the story of the persistent widow who goes to the judge asking for justice. Jesus says that the judge gives her justice because of her constant petitions. He goes on to say that God will also grant justice to those who are persistent. He does not tire of our requests; he longs to hear the desires of our hearts as long as we have those desires. Second, I think of our earthly petitions. When we want something done in our society, we start a petition. We get LOTS AND LOTS of people who agree with us to sign on. Shouldn't we do that with our prayers to God? James 5 tells us to confess and pray for each other for healing. I believe this is the other meaning of petitioning God; pray together and pray for each other specifically, frequently, and consistently.
Finally, present these requests to God. To me this means quit trying to do it myself. It is God who handles our requests and He does not need us to give our worries to Him and then try and figure it out and fix it ourselves. The idea of "presenting" them to Him is to give Him the present (gift) of our requests. We don't take gifts back. Once they are given they belong to the receiver of the gift. When we present our requests to God, they are His. We are to leave them with Him and not try and take them back.
To me, that is heavy stuff. True stuff, but very hard to do. Challenging.
Peace to you~
Sean
I was so excited to see this verse as today's subject. It is one half of my favorite piece of scripture. I am not exactly sure why it is a favorite as I struggle with it a lot. Even though I have engaged this particular verse literally hundreds of times, I still found something new.
I like that the verse is active. It starts out with the word "do." By its very nature it is practical. Due to the fact that it is in the word of God, I also believe that it makes it possible. That is an amazing thing since the next thing it says is not to worry about anything. I often seem to worry about most everything except when I am intently focused on not worrying and trusting God.
The "anything" and "everything" of this verse is reminiscent of our previous study on Day 2 with the word "whatever" from Philippians 1:27. Again, it brings to mind the day-to-day, extraordinary, intriguing, fascinating, boring, happy, sad, tremendously difficult, extremely easy, and all that is between. In all of that, don't worry and be thankful.
Thankful for what? Our blessings? The things we learn? The difficulties themselves? The joys AND sorrows? I think the answer to all the above is "YES!" That, once again, seems impossible. How can you be thankful when you lose a job? How can you be thankful when someone else receives all the things you ask for? How can you be thankful when the loved one does not get well? How can you be thankful for dirty dishes and no time to wash them? How can you be thankful for having to do it all alone? How can you be thankful when the one you love dies, is dying, or leaves you all alone? That is heavy stuff.
I believe the verse tells us how. It says by prayer and petition. What is that? Prayer is taking it to God, talking to him about it, and trusting Him with it. I think most of us understand in general what prayer is. Maybe we are struggling with the types of prayer or how to do it or what it's purpose truly is, but we get that it is intended to be communicating with our Heavenly Father.
What about petition, though? As I have reflected on this I have come to several of my own conclusions. First, I believe that petition is to bring it over and over as long as it is on your heart. It makes me think of the story in Luke 18 where Jesus tells the story of the persistent widow who goes to the judge asking for justice. Jesus says that the judge gives her justice because of her constant petitions. He goes on to say that God will also grant justice to those who are persistent. He does not tire of our requests; he longs to hear the desires of our hearts as long as we have those desires. Second, I think of our earthly petitions. When we want something done in our society, we start a petition. We get LOTS AND LOTS of people who agree with us to sign on. Shouldn't we do that with our prayers to God? James 5 tells us to confess and pray for each other for healing. I believe this is the other meaning of petitioning God; pray together and pray for each other specifically, frequently, and consistently.
Finally, present these requests to God. To me this means quit trying to do it myself. It is God who handles our requests and He does not need us to give our worries to Him and then try and figure it out and fix it ourselves. The idea of "presenting" them to Him is to give Him the present (gift) of our requests. We don't take gifts back. Once they are given they belong to the receiver of the gift. When we present our requests to God, they are His. We are to leave them with Him and not try and take them back.
To me, that is heavy stuff. True stuff, but very hard to do. Challenging.
Peace to you~
Sean
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Day 4- Philippians 3:12b
"... I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Philippians 3:12b (NIV)
This one on its own had me stumped. By itself, I understood that pressing on had quite a few meanings. First, I haven't attained a goal. Second, it will take work. The idea of "press on" makes me think that I will have to push through things, be persistent, especially when things are difficult and/or mundane. I also understood from this that I had a goal to reach; something to "take hold" of. Again I see the God-work in that Christ has already taken hold of me and will give me the strength to take hold of the goal. It will not come from my power, but by my persistent submission to the goal he has set for me. With all that said, it still felt empty without the context of the rest of the verse and surrounding text.
The context of Philippians chapter 3 is the idea that we have nothing in and of ourselves to boast of. Everything is worthless in light of being one with Christ. That is the goal he is speaking of. The prize we reach for. The end of the race. That is what we were taken hold of for: Unity (relationship) with Christ. Like every relationship, this one takes work; hence the "pressing on". As the bride of Christ, he has already taken hold of us. When we choose to join him (i.e. become a Christian, disciple, believer, follower, part of the body) we begin the relationship. It, however, is like any other relationship and we must continue to work daily, hourly, minute by minute, and second by second to reap the reward of making it all it is intended to be.
It makes me think of my own marriage. I remember that when Christina and I decided to get married, I was very excited about how great it was going to be. I can honestly say that it has been great and is getting better as time goes by. I can also see that there is a lot of potential that we have not reached in our relationship. The one thing I don't think anyone could have prepared me for, though, is how HARD it has been. The first few years were especially trying, but we still go through some very difficult, heart-wrenching times. Even with those, however, I can truthfully say it is much better than I could have imagined the day we wed. I am a truly blessed man.
All of that to say this, it has taken "pressing on" to make this relationship grow. There is implied commitment in that. There is no such thing as real relationship without commitment. That may sound hard or harsh, but it is true. You cannot get to the best of what a relationship is intended to be without difficulty, hard work, sweat, and tears. A person will not stick through or put in the required effort without commitment to the goal; the unity/oneness intended in a relationship. It goes for marriage and it goes for our relationship with Christ. It is why he took hold of us. Do we dare press on to take hold of Him? I am trying.
One last thought: I struggled with the idea of "that which he took hold of me." I believe I now understand what the end goal of His taking hold of me is: Unity and a relationship. What I don't understand and can't fathom is "Why?"
Thank you Abba.
Sean
This one on its own had me stumped. By itself, I understood that pressing on had quite a few meanings. First, I haven't attained a goal. Second, it will take work. The idea of "press on" makes me think that I will have to push through things, be persistent, especially when things are difficult and/or mundane. I also understood from this that I had a goal to reach; something to "take hold" of. Again I see the God-work in that Christ has already taken hold of me and will give me the strength to take hold of the goal. It will not come from my power, but by my persistent submission to the goal he has set for me. With all that said, it still felt empty without the context of the rest of the verse and surrounding text.
The context of Philippians chapter 3 is the idea that we have nothing in and of ourselves to boast of. Everything is worthless in light of being one with Christ. That is the goal he is speaking of. The prize we reach for. The end of the race. That is what we were taken hold of for: Unity (relationship) with Christ. Like every relationship, this one takes work; hence the "pressing on". As the bride of Christ, he has already taken hold of us. When we choose to join him (i.e. become a Christian, disciple, believer, follower, part of the body) we begin the relationship. It, however, is like any other relationship and we must continue to work daily, hourly, minute by minute, and second by second to reap the reward of making it all it is intended to be.
It makes me think of my own marriage. I remember that when Christina and I decided to get married, I was very excited about how great it was going to be. I can honestly say that it has been great and is getting better as time goes by. I can also see that there is a lot of potential that we have not reached in our relationship. The one thing I don't think anyone could have prepared me for, though, is how HARD it has been. The first few years were especially trying, but we still go through some very difficult, heart-wrenching times. Even with those, however, I can truthfully say it is much better than I could have imagined the day we wed. I am a truly blessed man.
All of that to say this, it has taken "pressing on" to make this relationship grow. There is implied commitment in that. There is no such thing as real relationship without commitment. That may sound hard or harsh, but it is true. You cannot get to the best of what a relationship is intended to be without difficulty, hard work, sweat, and tears. A person will not stick through or put in the required effort without commitment to the goal; the unity/oneness intended in a relationship. It goes for marriage and it goes for our relationship with Christ. It is why he took hold of us. Do we dare press on to take hold of Him? I am trying.
One last thought: I struggled with the idea of "that which he took hold of me." I believe I now understand what the end goal of His taking hold of me is: Unity and a relationship. What I don't understand and can't fathom is "Why?"
Thank you Abba.
Sean
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Day 3- Philippians 2:13
"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
I feel like this particular verse is full of some big ideas for me. The first thing I am drawn to is similar to an earlier study. Once again the idea that God is the one doing the work is presented. It is not about my strength, talents, abilities, discipline, or work ethic but God's strength and power that is at work with in me. That is such a relief if I can actually believe and buy in to that reality. It is hard to do, though. It is hard to let go of the reigns and trust that God is doing what he says. The verse says that God IS working in me. It is something that is already happening! This tells me that I must have first, a faith to believe that it is true and second, an openness and listening quality to be able to recognize God's work. I need to develop an awareness of what God is already doing so that I can join in.
The next big idea I see is the "what" that God is doing. He is giving me desire and power. This is really appealing to my selfishness if I don't read deeper. The desire and power are for what pleases Him, not me. That, however, is not the biggest idea.
Also, there is an expectation in the verse from God. He expects me to actually DO what it is that he desires and empowers me to do. Not just believe it, not just talk about it, but put it in to practice. This will require me to trust that what I see to do is actually from Him and trust that He has given me what I need to accomplish it. Those are big. So often I question, "Is this really what God wants me to do. Will He really see me through it or will I start and fail?" It is a leap of faith and it is a big valley to leap across at times. But, I still don't think that is the biggest idea in the verse.
I think, the biggest idea in the verse is that it all is a GIFT. It is free. And like all gifts, it is expected to be received. The work is being done by God. He has all the pieces and parts in place. I just have to receive the gift, unwrap it, and enjoy it. When I do, the verse implies that He will be pleased. He gives us the desires and power to do what pleases Him. Logically, what follows is that if I desire what He has put on my heart and do what He has empowered me to do, He will be pleased. If I can swallow this, the maker of the universe will be pleased with me.
That is too cool. I need to chew on it some more.
Sean
I feel like this particular verse is full of some big ideas for me. The first thing I am drawn to is similar to an earlier study. Once again the idea that God is the one doing the work is presented. It is not about my strength, talents, abilities, discipline, or work ethic but God's strength and power that is at work with in me. That is such a relief if I can actually believe and buy in to that reality. It is hard to do, though. It is hard to let go of the reigns and trust that God is doing what he says. The verse says that God IS working in me. It is something that is already happening! This tells me that I must have first, a faith to believe that it is true and second, an openness and listening quality to be able to recognize God's work. I need to develop an awareness of what God is already doing so that I can join in.
The next big idea I see is the "what" that God is doing. He is giving me desire and power. This is really appealing to my selfishness if I don't read deeper. The desire and power are for what pleases Him, not me. That, however, is not the biggest idea.
Also, there is an expectation in the verse from God. He expects me to actually DO what it is that he desires and empowers me to do. Not just believe it, not just talk about it, but put it in to practice. This will require me to trust that what I see to do is actually from Him and trust that He has given me what I need to accomplish it. Those are big. So often I question, "Is this really what God wants me to do. Will He really see me through it or will I start and fail?" It is a leap of faith and it is a big valley to leap across at times. But, I still don't think that is the biggest idea in the verse.
I think, the biggest idea in the verse is that it all is a GIFT. It is free. And like all gifts, it is expected to be received. The work is being done by God. He has all the pieces and parts in place. I just have to receive the gift, unwrap it, and enjoy it. When I do, the verse implies that He will be pleased. He gives us the desires and power to do what pleases Him. Logically, what follows is that if I desire what He has put on my heart and do what He has empowered me to do, He will be pleased. If I can swallow this, the maker of the universe will be pleased with me.
That is too cool. I need to chew on it some more.
Sean
Day 2- Philippians 1:27a
"Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Philippians 1:27a (NIV)
WHATEVER- The word really sticks out. Especially in our culture today where it is often used as a brush off as if to say "so what, I 'm not listening, you don't matter." In this context, though, it is directly the opposite. It is of the utmost importance. Whatever- as in the phrase "in everything." Contextually, this shows up again in Philippians 4 when it talks about the circumstances NOT to worry in. There it says (paraphrased) Don't worry about anything, but in everything pray with thanks. Anyway, I digress. WHATEVER- In every circumstance: good, bad, happy, sad, exciting, mundane, easy, hard, once-in-a-lifetime, or everyday humdrum. No matter what, behave "as if" your are worthy of the sacrifice of Christ.
Now that is a thought- actually 2 thoughts.
First thought: I am wrestling with the idea of "conduct yourself in a manner worthy." No matter how I read it, it feels like it means to behave "as if." i have heard this a lot in Christian circles. It comes out in different ways. "Fake it 'til you make it." "If you act as if you feel better than you do, you will begin to feel better." And other timeless 'wisdom?' What I struggle with is the fine line between acting "as if" because we know it is true even if we don't feel it and being inauthentic. I think one of the most devastating and often accurate claims against Christians is that of being fake. There is a long history of pretending. We doctor it up in nice phrases. We say all kinds of things and pretend that things don't affect us like other people who are not believers because we don't want to seem "worldly". Unfortunately, this often translates to those who are watching us as if we are fake, self-deceiving, lying, and/or many other sad perceptions. So, I struggle with how to be honest, authentic, truthful, and still be able to honestly articulate the truth that God is greater than our most dire situation and even when I don't feel it, I choose to trust.
Second thought: I struggle with how to in each and every moment, be submissive to the "good news" of Jesus sacrifice for me. Some moments, I find it easy to be grateful for God's gift of His son. It is much less difficult in those moments I recognize my need for mercy and grace. It is much more difficult when changing a diaper or doing dishes (I hate dishes) to be understanding of how I am to act "worthy of the gospel of Christ." How does one recognize the significance of the suffering of Christ, the death of Christ, and the separation from God of Christ in my place in the everyday mundane or even joyous, easy moments of life? It is the "in the moment" replacing my thoughts of the present time and circumstances with the present impact of the love, forgiveness, and hope gifted to us by Jesus in His sacrifice.
What are your thoughts on the verse? Any answers for my questions? Looking forward to your thoughts.
Sean
WHATEVER- The word really sticks out. Especially in our culture today where it is often used as a brush off as if to say "so what, I 'm not listening, you don't matter." In this context, though, it is directly the opposite. It is of the utmost importance. Whatever- as in the phrase "in everything." Contextually, this shows up again in Philippians 4 when it talks about the circumstances NOT to worry in. There it says (paraphrased) Don't worry about anything, but in everything pray with thanks. Anyway, I digress. WHATEVER- In every circumstance: good, bad, happy, sad, exciting, mundane, easy, hard, once-in-a-lifetime, or everyday humdrum. No matter what, behave "as if" your are worthy of the sacrifice of Christ.
Now that is a thought- actually 2 thoughts.
First thought: I am wrestling with the idea of "conduct yourself in a manner worthy." No matter how I read it, it feels like it means to behave "as if." i have heard this a lot in Christian circles. It comes out in different ways. "Fake it 'til you make it." "If you act as if you feel better than you do, you will begin to feel better." And other timeless 'wisdom?' What I struggle with is the fine line between acting "as if" because we know it is true even if we don't feel it and being inauthentic. I think one of the most devastating and often accurate claims against Christians is that of being fake. There is a long history of pretending. We doctor it up in nice phrases. We say all kinds of things and pretend that things don't affect us like other people who are not believers because we don't want to seem "worldly". Unfortunately, this often translates to those who are watching us as if we are fake, self-deceiving, lying, and/or many other sad perceptions. So, I struggle with how to be honest, authentic, truthful, and still be able to honestly articulate the truth that God is greater than our most dire situation and even when I don't feel it, I choose to trust.
Second thought: I struggle with how to in each and every moment, be submissive to the "good news" of Jesus sacrifice for me. Some moments, I find it easy to be grateful for God's gift of His son. It is much less difficult in those moments I recognize my need for mercy and grace. It is much more difficult when changing a diaper or doing dishes (I hate dishes) to be understanding of how I am to act "worthy of the gospel of Christ." How does one recognize the significance of the suffering of Christ, the death of Christ, and the separation from God of Christ in my place in the everyday mundane or even joyous, easy moments of life? It is the "in the moment" replacing my thoughts of the present time and circumstances with the present impact of the love, forgiveness, and hope gifted to us by Jesus in His sacrifice.
What are your thoughts on the verse? Any answers for my questions? Looking forward to your thoughts.
Sean
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Day 1- Philippians 1:6
"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." Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
I think what has stood out to me the most is the nature of who does the work. So often in my faith I feel like I have so much I need to work on and so much I need to do to grow. In this verse, it is so evident that God does the work. Not only does He do the work, but I can be confident it will be a good work. It is already started and He will complete it in me. I just have to be open to it. As we looked at in our memory verse, it is about allowing God to work in us. He won't force it, but if we allow it, He will do it. I see that in this verse in the word "being." Being confident is passive confidence. It is not doing, but a state of being.
The other thing that stands out most to me, is how long God expects to be working on this. So many times I believe that there is this point I am growing to and then I will be mature. I don't say that, but it is how I act. I always say, "I will always have things to learn or areas in which I need to grow," but inside I feel like there is a point I will grow to where I have "arrived." It is healthy for me to see (so that I don't get discouraged) that God expects to complete His good work in me on the day of Christ Jesus. To me, that is when He comes back. He will ALWAYS be working His good work in me as long as I allow Him until He comes back. That is a good thought.
What's your thought?
Sean
I think what has stood out to me the most is the nature of who does the work. So often in my faith I feel like I have so much I need to work on and so much I need to do to grow. In this verse, it is so evident that God does the work. Not only does He do the work, but I can be confident it will be a good work. It is already started and He will complete it in me. I just have to be open to it. As we looked at in our memory verse, it is about allowing God to work in us. He won't force it, but if we allow it, He will do it. I see that in this verse in the word "being." Being confident is passive confidence. It is not doing, but a state of being.
The other thing that stands out most to me, is how long God expects to be working on this. So many times I believe that there is this point I am growing to and then I will be mature. I don't say that, but it is how I act. I always say, "I will always have things to learn or areas in which I need to grow," but inside I feel like there is a point I will grow to where I have "arrived." It is healthy for me to see (so that I don't get discouraged) that God expects to complete His good work in me on the day of Christ Jesus. To me, that is when He comes back. He will ALWAYS be working His good work in me as long as I allow Him until He comes back. That is a good thought.
What's your thought?
Sean
40 DITW
So, for those of you who read what I wrote almost a year ago, you can tell I did not do well keeping up with this. However, I am hoping blogging will have a new life with this 40 Days In the Word study. After talking to Mark and Rebecca about it after life group, I am posting thoughts about the daily studies with the hope that we will be able to have a written conversation. It was a little sad for me when I realized that we would not have time to discuss the daily readings in life group.
So, most of all I look forward to your thoughts on the studies. I am inviting open conversation about your thoughts on my thoughts as well and hope that we can have life changing discussion as we dive deeper into the word.
I know that we all did not start on exactly the same day, so feel free to comment on each day as you come to them. As I conclude this post, know that I hope to immediately begin the next with Day 1 and 2 thoughts.
Here's to the adventure!
So, most of all I look forward to your thoughts on the studies. I am inviting open conversation about your thoughts on my thoughts as well and hope that we can have life changing discussion as we dive deeper into the word.
I know that we all did not start on exactly the same day, so feel free to comment on each day as you come to them. As I conclude this post, know that I hope to immediately begin the next with Day 1 and 2 thoughts.
Here's to the adventure!
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