Scripture: Philippians 3:15-16
“All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if at some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”
Observation:
These verses remind me to walk in the spirit, not in my own strength. As Christians, we are called to live differently—to take hold of what lies before us and let go of what and who we were before Christ.
Application:
The title of the passage leading up to these verses is “No confidence in the flesh.” It doesn’t say “some” confidence in the flesh; it clearly states “no” confidence in the flesh. I personally struggle with operating in my own strength at times. However, as a mature Christian, I am called to view things from a Heavenly perspective, which calls us to put our full confidence in Christ.
This evening I read a sobering post on Facebook: The person shared a poem that stated we are all in line for eternity. We can’t change our place in line; there are no shortcuts and no running to the back or the front of the line. The fact is we will all face eternity some day and stand before God.
When I look at life through the lens of eternity, everything else in this world becomes less important. Of course, I want to live responsibly and take care of my daily responsibilities. At the same time, I need to be careful to keep an eternal perspective as I go throughout my day. I want to make sure that I am walking in the spirit and hearing God’s voice—not trying to do things solely in my own strength.
Am I sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s nudging? Am I open to allow the Lord to “interrupt” my day in order to encourage, uplift, or speak into the lives of others when needed?
I never want to lose that sense of wonder. The enemy wants to distract; his mission is to keep me from making an eternal impact. But Jesus already won the battle, and He is with me, spurring me on to good deeds. I just need to maintain my focus on Him. Ultimately, my goal is to share the love of Jesus with as many people as possible, and there is no greater joy than seeing someone give their life to Jesus!
Prayer:
Recently, I have felt the Lord impress on me the importance of perspective. Lord Jesus, please continue to speak to me throughout my day. Help me to hear your voice, to love as you love me, and to be a true reflection of You. Help me to finish strong. I only have one life to live, and I want to make it count. May my confidence be in You and You alone. Let’s do this—let’s run the race to win!
