This verse has been prominent in my life the past week. The leadership team at South Park is memorizing this translation together and we are going to be praying it this year as we plan, minister, and serve the congregation and community. I am going to take it a step farther (as I am sure most if not all of the team will do as well) and pray it when serving and loving my family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers.
This was also read at the beautiful wedding of Amy and Joshua Rule that I attended today. And I will pray this for them as they begin their new life together. They already are such an example and inspiration as Christians and I can't wait to see their living example of a Christian couple.
I use the term Christian with ease and a positive meaning, however, I know many people that read this may find fault in that term. I strive to be a Christian that Jesus would be proud of:
As found in Philippians 2:5-7:
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.
With humbled pride, grace, and forgiveness, I use the term "Christian" to mean one that strives to be more and more like Christ himself each day. So, that being said, I want to give my understanding on Philippians 1:9-11. Whether you are a follower of Christ or not, the words of this verse could only make your life and the lives of those around you better.
"This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight..." Each day we need to CHOOSE to be love, choose to accept love, and choose to learn what authentic love is. Ancient Greek had four very specific words to qualify types of love. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love)
As humans, we can "be" and give love to each and every person we come in contact with. In America for certain we have come to take LOVE to two extremes--thinking it is strictly the passionate love experienced intimately between two people or throwing the word LOVE around when talking about pizza or your iphone. But, if we look at ancient Greek and choose to learn authentically the different specific types of love, we actually CAN be love continuously and it will abound more and more in (and because of) knowledge and depth of insight.
"...so that you may be able to discern what is best..." Every day is full of decisions. Most of the decisions we make will likely effect others, maybe even those in generations yet to be born. We must be courteous and courageous enough to choose the decisions that are best. Likewise, what our world or culture may deem "best" actually may not be. But, if our decisions are based out of authentic love, knowlege, and depth of insight, we have a much better chance to discern what IS actually best. Again, we must start with and choose LOVE.
"...and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ" Depending on who you talk to, the return of Jesus is right around the corner, but read the new testament and see that the followers of Jesus were praying for that same thing. In the same manner, no one knows when my or your time on this earth will be up except our Father in Heaven. "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36) So, instead of watching our steps to make sure we do the "right thing" (motive check, by the way) we should live daily as if it were the day of Christ's return. In addition, we are all imperfect. Pure, blameless and filled with the fruit of righteousness are some pretty hard things to live up to or do on our own. Those come through understanding, persuing and surrendering to Jesus Christ. None of us are born and live naturally pure and blameless. If we recognize this, the guilt and shame can go away and we can allow the grace of God to flow freely in our lives. Each day we must ask God to equip us. Add authentic love, knowledge, depth of insight, and the decisions that are best and we will be closer to pure and blameless than we might have been on our own.
"...to the glory and praise of God." Once you find you've stopped relying on or pursuing God you will notice that the "Christian" you are and the "Christian" your Lord and Savior asks you to be may be very different. Always check that the motive of any action is to glorify and praise God.
So, this is my prayer: May your 2010 be filled with love and may the love in and between each of us abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that it is authentic and that we may be able to discern what is best now and for generations to come. And may all of us who call ourselves Christian be pure and blameless today and until the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes not from us but through surrendering to Jesus Christ all so that God can be praised and He can receive all the glory.
Happy New Year!
