Paul's letter to the Philippian church is a call to live out the Christian life joyfully - in the pleasant seasons of life as well as through the storms that come our way. Through the first two chapters, he crystalizes a concept that has been turning over in my mind, and I want to challenge each of us to give it serious consideration as we continue to traverse the journey set before us. The concept is about the choice we must make in order to live in the joy that Paul talks so much about.
Paul put into perfect perspective the choice we have as believers and followers of Christ Jesus. In Philippians 1:21 he says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." His whole purpose in life was to speak out boldly for Christ and to become more like Him. Living means developing eternal values, living those values out, which brings the fruit of the Spirit into one's personal experience even in the darkest of days, and helping others find and live those values out through a personal relationship with Christ. When that is your heart's desire and your perspective on life, then dying is even better! In death, there is no more suffering, none of the "issues" that plague us, plus the fulfillment of seeing Christ face-to-face!
If we don't choose that path, then we live in Philippians 2:21 where he says, "For they (those who are not believers AND those believers who do not fix their eyes consistently on Christ) all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus." Believers who seek their own interests are the ones who are overcome by the storms of life. They are drowning in their own self-pity, despair, depression, frustration, and/or anger because of what life has brought their way. These are the most frustrated, unhappy people on earth because deep in their heart is the Spirit's call to refocus their mind on the Christ - in whom they once put their trust.
Obviously, no one has reached perfection, and we won't until that day when He calls us home. So for now, it is impossible for us to live completely and solely in 1:21. However, we do choose from which perspective we strive to consistently live our lives. For some, it is a conscious, overt choice. For others, it has become a choice of omission.
I know from scripture that each of us lives consistently in one of those choices. We either live for Christ, doing our best and with the help of the Holy Spirit striving everyday to fix our gaze on Him and allowing Him to guide us in all that we do. Or we live for ourselves, giving an occasional glance His way. There is not much middle ground on this issue. We either are - or we aren't.
This concept has really hit me as I ponder my life and the issues my family and I have been and are dealing with in the last year or so. There are things that I have not shared publicly because I am not at liberty to do so. But just know that you are not alone in facing down the giants of heartache and heartbreak. It comes to all of us as seasons we must pass through. Let's choose to live in 1:21 and live for Christ in the good times and the bad. And let's choose to be burdened believers as Epaphroditus was - burdened for the needs and concerns of others (Philippians 2:25-30). And let's choose the Word of God and prayer as our spiritual weapons to use to spread our faith and defend our faith and that of our sisters in Christ. When we choose to live for Christ, we are choosing joy!
