According to His Good Purpose

Good Morning,

Philippians 2:12-16 (NIV)
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Just as I read these verses today I thought, "YES!!! That's exactly what I want for my life!" Specifically that I would truly "shine like a star in the universe as I hold out the word of life" every day that I live.

Paul gives us some advice here, though, that we need to take to heart and remember. He reminds everyone that we need to be obedient and continue to work on our own lives every day. We need to be paying attention to the details, I think. It isn't just a "good thing" to be reading the Bible and other spiritual works, it is NECESSARY to be doing it. It isn't just a "good idea" to have close fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters, it is NECESSARY to be doing it. In this way we are being obedient to what Paul is telling us and what God wants for us to do.

He says that we need to lead our lives "without complaining or arguing" in order that we "may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation" and in this way we will "shine like stars" as we live our lives "holding out the word of life"...that is, sharing the Gospel to the lost.

Here's the rub though. Without our normal and almost continual complaining? Without arguing about things that make no difference? I mean, these two...argument and complaint...almost seem to have become a birthright to many of us. It's, well, it's natural! Well, maybe not natural...maybe it's been learned and ingrained into the way we live our lives because it's what we see others doing all the time. But, you see, if we live lives that are NOT ones filled with arguing and complaining, we truly WILL stand out in the world (believe me, if we can do this, people will notice...they'll think it just isn't natural!). In this way we can, indeed, become like shining stars that will light the way for people to listen to us as we present the Gospel message, "the word of life." Isn't that what we all want? Isn't that the goal we should aspire to? Wouldn't that truly please God?

Remember what we read early in this section of Scripture, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." If we get the arguing and complaining out of our lives, then that allows us truly seem to be much more blameless and pure and real children of the living God. Especially in the warped and perverse world in which we live. When we are living in this way, then it does allow God to work even more in our lives..."to His good purpose."

Hey! I'll help you if you'll help me!

Love, peace, and blessings,

David