*You could spend days on this one chapter...it is so rich! I'm gonna put some of my highlights, you put yours and we'll hopefully do chapter 1 justice.
1:3-5 - Every day he is praying for his brothers and sisters in Christ and he is excited about praying for them...he is passionate about covering God's people in prayer. Is that my prayer life? Or am I too busy praying for myself?
1:6 - God did not start His work in my life (Changing my heart and attitude, saving me, building up my faith, etc) just to leave me hanging. God finishes what He begins and He will be faithful to complete the good work He has started in you and me. When we are going through times of struggle, we have to cling to the fact that God has not left us behind...He has not quit on us. He will finish what He started, so we need to do the same. Finish the race...stay focused...trust in Him.
1:13 - Through his trials Paul sees God at work in the bigger picture. It is amazing what we can see when we take our eyes off ourselves.
1:14 - When we live boldly, we inspire other Christians to live boldly.
1:18 - Paul's grace in incredible...do I look at other churches and ministers critically and judgementally, or with an understanding that even in their imperfection when Christ is preached it is a good thing?
1:21-24 - He longs for heaven, but he is ready and willing to stay behind and live to encourage his brothers and sisters in Christ. I would say that most human beings cling to life like this is what it is all about...we often act like life is all that matters and we live like there is no tomorrow, serving ourselves. Pretty stark contrast from the aspirations of Paul who willingly lives only to turn people towards Christ and who longs for the day when his life is over and he can return home to his Father.
1:27 - Whether our prayers are answered positively or negatively...nothing should change about our faith.
1:29 - A clear sign of our faith in Christ and the power and victory we receive through him, is that we willingly suffer with him and for him.
2 comments:
Interesting you should mention living boldly as Paul is actually doing that from prison. In jail being an inspiration to those around him – are we doing that no matter what we are going through?
I have struggled with wanting to “leave the building” and be with Jesus. And yes, my wife knows – duh. But as I tell her, that is a selfish tendency and the easy way out. To quote a song I know – “life is hard, never soft” – so I will take the hard path He has for me because it is what He wants me to do – and until He doesn’t want me to, I will be here, trying to live for Him.
peace
j
"21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me."
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