As we work through Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we’ll see that It’s through the devotion of our Christian lives that Christ will be exalted. The church in Philippi were encouraged to be a church of joy in the face of opposition and persecution, live together in humility and unity, embrace and trust their emerging leaders (Timothy & Epaphroditus), and to guard themselves against false teachings and teachers by staying close to the word of the Lord.
Paul’s encouragement to the church (then, and now) is to live in this way: “We should walk through every day with eyes wide open to see what God would have us do, with ears alert to hear what he has to say, with hands ready to do the work he would have us do. This is how Jesus lived out his days when he was here on earth and this is how we should live them out too. His secret was that he did only what the Father was doing. That must be our secret too” (Dr Cynddylan Jones).
It’s as we live with eyes wide open that we’ll see those whose lives needed to be filled with the light of Jesus. It’s as we live with ears alert that we’ll hear cries of need that we can bring Jesus into to help. And it’s only when we live with hands ready to be used by God in any and every situation, that all of this will come together in the way that he needs. Let this, then, be our daily prayer:
Lord, grant that our lives may shine like lights of love and goodness in the world, that we may bring credit to the name we bear, and honour to the Master, whose we are and whom we seek to serve. This we ask for Thy love’s sake. Amen. (William Barclay)