Philippians

For the month of October, I have been reading the book of Philippians. I started with reading it completely through 4 times in one sitting. (Why does 6 pages seem so long at first when I read way more in my text books every night?)

After reading it over and over again, I read each chapter and prayerfully asked God to reveal to me themes and key passages that would help me understand Paul's heart for writing to the Philippians.

Encouragement stood out like a soar thumb....

I love how Paul uses circumstances and struggles in his own walk to relate too and encourage the believers in Philippi. He's confident in his walk with the Lord, yet reveals that he to struggles at time. (Phil 1:23-26, 3:3-11) I can't help but wonder if Paul wrote to people as a way of reminding himself of the truth that laid inside him. As I read each chapter I see a man that is full of the truth and has tons of examples of that truth being poured out and walked out in his own life and writing to people of that truth helps make it real.

I can only image Paul sitting by candle lite writing these words, "Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Phil. 2:1-4)

We don't need to read tons of books to learn what it means to be whole, or set up boundaries, or even to learn how others want to be loved. We need only to read passages like these ones and ask the Spirit to help us soak in the truth of it all. As we do this passages like this one will help us learn what it means to be whole, to have Christ's boundaries and love for others.

Application so far:

First, ask yourself.... if there is any consolation in Christ....
Second... any comfort of love...
Third,,, any fellowship of the Spirit
Fourth... any affection and mercy

Well then our response should be to joyfully striving to obtain like-mindedness, love for each other, and actively laying aside our own selfish ambitions and conceit for others benefits.

How you may ask?
Well, by esteeming others better than ourselves. Looking out for our interests more so, looking out for others interests.

Simple right?
How often do we forget the how part of this passage. We feel consolation in Christ, comfort of love, the fellowship of the Spirit, and the affection and mercy of Christ's blood shed for us, but we don't bother to go beyond that. To recognize the joyful response that Paul is calling us to seems to be the last thing on our minds. Is this, mainly because we don't recognize our own selfishness or if we do we don't care to change it or lay it down.

I have one more week in this book and could probably spend a whole lifetime learning from the truth that Paul writes to the Philippians. What a rich letter!

May God be revealing himself to you through passages like these. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Chirst, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Phil. 1:9-11)