30 Days in the Word Day 20

I apologize for having no blog post yesterday. I wasn't feeling the best and I fell asleep unexpectedly. I also must admit that I didn't read the Bible yesterday at all. This has shown me that I must not put it off until night. This has also put off my sleep and my well being.

But what I would like to share with you is what I read this morning.

Philippians 3:4-11 NIV

"If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Paul begins to tell of what he was; what he used to be. He was successful. He had it all going for him. He was a leader and the other pharisees thought well of him. He was well off. But he considers it all nothing compared with Christ.

Whatever we earn here on earth; status, money, friends, a nice house, a cool gadget, a college diploma. It is all nothing! Nothing compared with gaining Christ.


Philippians 4:12-21 NIV

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Paul admits that he is not perfect. He's not saying he has it all together. But he is saying that he is pressing on toward the goal. He has his eyes on the prize. His mind and his heart are in the right place and he is trying. He is running the race to win the prize that God has for him. He says we should all look at it in this way. We are running a race. I am running a race.

He says that if we are not looking at it in this way, God will soon make it clear to you that this is what you are supposed to be doing. He will clear your blurred vision. I know he has done so with me many times.

"Let us live up to what we have already attained."

30 Days in the Word Day 18

Philippians 1:9-11 NIV

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

This is exactly what I needed to hear. You may remember me talking about love in one of my past posts. Well it has been on my mind and on my heart for some time. God has been telling me to love others, but he has also been telling me to be wise. I am not going to lie. It has been frustrating me and confusing me trying to figure it all out. I am supposed to love others, but I am also supposed to do this wisely. I need to ask for wisdom and discernment so I know what is best and pure and righteous.

Philippians 1:9-11 THE MESSAGE

"So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God."

Reading the message version of these verses really woke me up to what it's all about. I've been struggling with learning how to love others and also struggling with personal issues that make me doubt how to go about loving. Paul says to learn how to love appropriately. It made me excited to read this. There is a way! Then Paul says "Use your head!" I need to be smart. I need to test myself and my feelings. My love needs to be sincere and intelligent, not gushing and foolish.

I don't know what else to say or add. The Word says it all. Let's just say I now have the right mindset.

30 Days in the Word Day 14

The past couple weeks have been hard. God has been revealing things in my heart that need to be changed. He's working in me constantly, showing me things that I need to work on and speaking to me through his word; Which is awesome, but it is difficult as well. I am not a person who embraces change easily.

I woke up this morning to an email: Philippians 2:13 "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."

This encouraged me so much! It describes exactly what I am going through. God is working in me; and it is hard, it is tough, but He is preparing me. He is giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him. And I know it. I feel it. It excites me.

After recieving this email I decided to read Philippians chapter 2. I found exactly what God has been telling me and showing me lately.

In verses 3-8 it says: "Do nothing out of selfish ambitions or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should not only look to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!"

Christ was humble enough to lower himself to our level. He came to earth, when he belongs in heaven away from sin. He became Human even though he is God of the universe. He came in humility. He made himself nothing. He was a servant, and that is how I am supposed to be.

Philippians 2:14-15
"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."

This generation is sinful and depraved and evil. As a Christ follower I should stand out. I should be different. I should not conform to the ways of the world. I should serve as Christ did. I should be pure. I should be a light in this darkness. I want to be all of thses things. I want to shine like stars in the universe.