Hello Again!
Yesterday we chatted about Paul’s very clear statement of his identity as a servant of Christ. One word sums it up: Surrendered! Today we look at what he has to say to his friends in Philippi about God’s work in those who have received Christ and have surrendered their lives to be His.
A little more background tells us that Philippians is actually a letter that has long been regarded as devotional in nature. It is clearly a letter that is concerned with local needs and problems, but continues to speak to us today as a reservoir of spiritual power. And, being it was written as a letter to the church in Philippi, it is a good idea to read the entire letter through, as a letter. I am encouraging you to open your Bible and do that. ( maybe this weekend!) And, I will ask you to do that several times before we are done going through the verses.
Walking through Philippians, here we go for today:
Philippians 1:6-8
“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 for 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. “
Early in his letter, Paul introduces one of Christianity’s most dynamic and compelling concepts: God is at work in human lives. This verse stresses God’s divine working within an individual life and introduces us to the secret of Paul’s spiritual power. Paul was filled with power because Christ was at work in him.
Later in the letter Paul will say, ” for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” ( Phil 2:13) God is working in you! Stop right now and think about that truth: repeat the truth…God is at work in me this very moment! God is working in me! God will carry me and his work in me to the finish line. God will complete His work within me! God is working in me.
“Now unto Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”( Eph 3:20)
Paul was quite confident that God was all powerful and that Christ’s power was sufficient to complete us. In fact, this power that we can not see is working even now, doing immeasurably more than we could even ask of the Father. What do you need from the Father today? What work do you need to believe His power is capable of accomplishing in you? Are you confident of His power or just wishful for it? Paul was confident of the power of God.
Paul is not saying here that you can not fall from divine favor, but he is saying that we don’t have to. We do our part, not a perfect performance, but a continual surrender and submission to God, and God will be faithful to complete His work in us. And, it was this very faithful completion that Paul was confident of.
An illustration to amplify this principle is one I heard recently:
A mother took her little boy to a piano concert. Upon arrival she saw a friend and started visiting. The restless little boy just wandered off, and soon the lights went out for the concert to begin. The mother looking to find her son, happened to look on the stage and saw her little boy pecking out Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. The young mom starred in shock, when the master musician walked out on the stage and whispered quietly to her son to keep playing. And the little boy did.
As he continued the great pianist began with his left hand to play the bass and with his right hand a beautiful running obligato. The audience was mesmerized by the beauty of the child’s efforts as they were embellishsed by the power and skill of a great master musician.
As we struggle to serve, God our master says, ” don’t quit, keep playing, keep trying: keep going and keep growing.” And out of our lives come the beauty and strength of his power and working. The concept of Christ empowering the Christian permeates the whole letter of Philippians. And like the little boy at the recital plunking out the notes of the song, Christ comes alongside us, and works in us and through us. We might not be able to see him, but He is there.
It’s easy to rely on our own power. We all do it. And, because our power supply can get easily distracted, short circuited with problems, or over loaded with too many responsibilities, our power…at best, is limited. Our power, compared to God’s, is weak. Why settle for our power, when God offers us His? Today, as you begin your day, or as you go through your day, thank God for His power. Ask Him to teach you how to rely on it, and to give you the confidence that His power is always working in you.
Thanking Him might go something like this…
Lord, thank you that you are working in me. Thank you that your power can do more than I can imagine. Help me to believe in your power and to be fully confident in it. Help my unbelief in this area. I know you have the power to orchestrate the rising and setting of the sun, but I need to know that you are that involved in my life too. I need to believe that you are orchestrating a work in me. Jesus, thank you for the promise that you will complete me, you will not give up on me, you will work in me. Have your work in me today Jesus and help me to believe it is you and your power at work.
I am confident that God is at work in you, my friends. I am depending that He is working in each of us. I confess my weakness to you, and trust that though I am weak, He promises to be strong. I am looking forward to the faithfulness of God in my life and in yours.
Be blessed today, this Friday April 9th..Live it well, in surrender to the power at work within you!
Loving you in the Lord,
Debbie
