Tag: Philipiians

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Disconnected

Well, I set myself up to write this morning, and boom, Comcast decided that it was time to rest a router or something and my most important internet connection was unavailable. So, now I am multitasking writing and meeting and trying to focus on mutliple things at once – wishing I could be disconnected.

After yesterday mind freeze, one would think that I would bust out a super entry today, but the cold weather in the deep south has continued to freeze my brain. So I asked myself, if I could do one thing today, what would it be. What would be my one goal. I decided it was at the end of the day to find joy in the day.

Joy – not the I spending the day at Disney joy, but the Jesus Other You type of joy. The joy that comes from spending the day with your proirities in order, so that at the end of the day you are able to say ‘Yes, that was a day where things are in place.’ (That’s not to say its a day thats is perfect or without trouble, its just a day when you handle all that stuff in a way that screams – Jesus Others then You).

That seems like something to attempt to do today. Let’s see if we can make this a joyfilled day!

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11 (New International Version, ©2010)

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Daily Post

Sell out

I am sure you could guess that yesterday’s post was only half a thought, because I don’t think that when Jesus says “sell all” and “give” that he is only referring to material things.  I think he is referring to our complete selves.   This is the thought that I have been struggling with all week, because its such hard thing to do.  Even this morning as I prepare for the work day and recount activities from yesterday, I find myself frustrated about events, when upon closer examination that frustration is more about my point of view or the may I felt I was treated.  If I have sold out to the Christ, then my take on that situation is so totally different.  Yeah, sure, maybe somethings are not the way they should be, and maybe some people are not being completely open and truthful, but hey, my sold out response will be much kinder, and full of mercy, because I will be focused on what truly matters.

So what I am really taking about.  Well, its in found in Philippians 3:8:

8Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ (CEV)

Paul says he considers everything else as garbage!  Some translation say rubbish, dung, or worthless.  WOW!  I read that verse and I say “yeah, but what about my…..”.  It’s tough.  It’s one of those stumper verses.  HOW?

Now you see where my mind has been this week.  It’s not really about T-shirts, although that’s a symptom.  It’s about knowing Christ and understanding how much better that is then anything else in the world, and then living that way.

You should read the whole of Philippians 3, but take a look at this broader context:

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What 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 9and 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. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not 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. 13Brothers, 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, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I am just like Paul,  I have not taken hold of this yet, however this thought has captivated my mind.  And since I am pretty visual this little mini-movie brings this home as well.  Take a moment some time today to view this video:

Ponder this today.  What do you own, what do you do, what do you think about that is better the knowing Christ.  Can you count it as garbage? Will you help me to?