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Text: Philippians 3:3-14 “How many of you already have the Christmas décor taken down? How many of you received gifts that you are planning on taking back? How many of you have gifts that you are planning on re-gifting? How many of you actually received an article of clothing that you will have to take back because is was TOO BIG? (our friends and family are typically a bit more optimistic and gracious: we all know the awkwardness of the moment when the person opens the gift and everyone in the room knows it’s not going to fit!) * This is a time of year when we have a tendency to “drift” from our commitments to disciplined living (i.e. we eat too much, spend too much, lay around too much), but all with the best of intentions to return to a more restrained lifestyle come January 1! * It always reminds me: how desperately my life needs a sense of identifiable direction; an intentional prompting toward a certain course of life. Jeremiah 32:38-41 (read) (pg.562) * I would like to suggest that from this passage (and others throughout the story of God), I have reached (3) elementary conclusions about God’s purposes for humanity: 1. CONNECTION- that we would have a relationship with Him (and others). 2. CLARITY- that such a relationship would translate into a devotedness (“singleness of heart and action”) which would prevent us from becoming too easily distracted. 3. CONVICTION- that God’s promises of unconditional love and unrelenting faithfulness would provide the motivation for our loving-commitment to Him. * Although this time of year is typically associated with diversion (from normal activities) and leisure, it is also seems to be a season of “passage”…a movement; a time to consider the past and how we arrived here. * There’s also a real “PARADOX” surrounding this time... …it seems to foster a real sense of HOPE as we consider the potential for new beginnings, new goals. …it also seems equally FRUSTRATING: there’s a sense of futility and anxiety about past failures and unfulfilled promises. * Sometimes amidst that, it causes us to make all sorts of IMPULSIVE decisions (i.e. weight… “I’m only going to eat sprouts and tofu for the next 6 months!” loss of employment… “I’m not going to be held hostage to corporate America; I’m going to cash in my retirement and start my own business”. end of a relationship… “No one’s ever going to do that to me again; I will never get involved with anyone again!”) * I found that this time of year is always better suited for introspection and reflection than just receiving another NEW YEAR’S PEP TALK! Not a good time to receive any new information, but an opportunity to reflect on what we already possess. * My time of reflection concerning God and life always seems to begin with a reminder that God values a “deliberate” approach to life; not one that is rigid or lacks spontaneity, but a life that proceeds from thoughtful evaluation…that’s purposeful. “What is your life?” James 4:14 “Who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15 “What’s that in your hand?” Exodus 4:4 * I have also discovered that when God asks questions, he is not necessarily searching for answers. He’s not requiring that we merely state the obvious or attempt to justify our actions (i.e. like when we catch our kids with their hand in the proverbial “cookie jar”: “What are you doing?” Shaving the cat!) * He is challenging our motivations; he is probing below the surface of our actions to the center of our being…our hearts! * The challenge is that such introspection requires a great deal of honesty and courage. And, self-examination is sometimes quite difficult because we either have a tendency to be OVERLY TOLERANT (see ourselves in the most favorable light possible) or OVERLY CRITICAL (heavy-handed with the truth, but really short on grace!) Needless to say, we need help. We should not venture into such activity without God. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (NIV) * The value of introspection and reflection is determined by who is conducting the search. If we are requesting that God search our hearts, we can trust that he will only confront us with the reality of our situation (TRUTH), but do it in such a way that allows for the possibility of change (GRACE- his influence on our heart). * Jesus came to offer us “life”…the potential for CONNECTEDNESS, CLARITY & CONVICITON, but at the heart of his offer was a need for REPENTANCE. To “repent” is not just to pray a prayer and fill out a “decision card”. It means to make an honest evaluation of your life; to go below the surface and to honestly identify what you find (CONFESSION). It then means that we “re-order” our lives accordingly: that we abandon the self-directed life for the God-centered life. Philippians 3:7 “I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done for me” (NLT). * This attitude and approach to life is at the center of biblical repentance. Paul’s circumstances provided (even necessitated) reflection (if he was facing the possibility of dying, he needed to be know why he was living!) * In an effort to assist your own personal self-evaluation, allow me to offer the following reflections… “Is my relationship with God producing pressure or pleasure? What significant things have you accomplished this year in order to secure God’s love and approval? Are you convinced that those are enough?” (Philippians 3:4-6, 9) Jeremiah 1:4 “The Lord said to me, ‘I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations” (TEV). * When it becomes clear to you that God wants you, without regard for your performance, the pressure’s off and you can start to enjoy the relationship (i.e. b-ball: when I knew that I had made the team- I had been “chosen”- I could simply enjoy the game and develop my skills in the absence of the pressure to perform). * Adam and Eve’s choice to pursue an “alternative lifestyle” has been handed down to us all. So, ever since that decision, we have lived “self-consciously” instead of “God-consciously”. We are always conscious of how we are doing, or how miserably we are failing. * If that’s you, the answer is not MORE EFFORT! Yes, you should continue to do what’s right (Galatians 6:9 “Don’t get tired of doing what’s right”), but don’t think that your performance will make God any more real to you. “Staying busy” is often just a tactic for avoiding the deeper issues. Focusing on the relationship will relive you from the pressure and fatigue of perpetual activity. “Over the past year, what aspects of my life would I consider gains? Which would you consider losses? Have any of the losses actually proven to be gains? How do you decide?” (Philippians 3:7) “What are the necessary ingredients for a successful life; what aspects seemed to have taken on renewed significance? Which issues seemed to have lost their importance? (Philippians 3:7) “Is my life demonstrating improvement? Is my goal progress or perfection?” (Philippians 3:12) “What have you given yourself to this year? What have you given out as a result? If you could do one thing for/with God this year, what would it be? What passions are being produced in your life as a result of your relationship with Jesus? (Philippians 3:13) * Knowing Jesus (experientially) is the key to Godly passion; to KNOW him is to LOVE him (simple as that!) Love always produces enough passion (energy) to accomplish the goal (1 Corinthians 13:8 “Love never fails”). “Why do I keep looking over my shoulder?” (Philippians 3:13) If Paul had reason to “boast”, he also had reason to “hold a grudge”! * It assists us in addressing the issues which go well below the surface of our “manicured” public appearance; it allows us to address those emotional issues which have been unaddressed for so long. * It reinforces our need to name the hurt and the pain and, with God’s help, embrace new thought and decision-making patterns; it releases us from the captivity of unforgiveness and bitterness and allows us to move forward into a more preferred-future, where we can stop looking over our shoulder! “forgetting what is behind”- The original Greek language paints a picture of a runner who is leading the race and doesn’t bother looking back to check on his opponent. “Forgetting”… not that our past is absent from our memories, or that we live in some sense of denial, but what’s behind us does not determine the course that we take. “Have you ever noticed that you can run faster and with much greater ease forward than backward?” * Paul, as well as a host of others throughout history have found freedom in the grace-filled life of Jesus; being willing to surrender my rights for retribution and being able to forgive as I am reminded of my own need of forgiveness. “What’s ahead? Now that I have reached my goals, what am I reaching for? Now that I have ‘arrived’, where am I?” (Philippians 3:14) * Maybe you feel that you have done pretty well this year and feel content most of the time (i.e. your time in the Bible is often rewarding, your prayer life is becoming much more than just ritual, you actually LIKE church, you feel the blessing of good friends and family)… enjoy the blessings of God and be encouraged by the growth that you have experienced, but DON’T SETTLE FOR IT! What feels like ‘contentment’ can quickly become ‘complacency’ (i.e. again, making the b-ball team could have been ‘good enough’). The question: “Am I willing to have my current level of comfort interrupted if it meant knowing God more fully; experiencing more intimately his life and love?” * For others, all you may be able to “spot me” is… “I believe there’s a god”. A prayer: “God, something in my
heart tells me that there’s more to life than what I am currently experiencing.
I invite you to search me, and I will attempt to hide nothing from you. And as
you search me, please be honest, but please be gentle! Amen”. |
