Start Your Year, Start Your Day



January 10, 2010
Philippians 1:27-30
27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.

29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Philippians 1:27-30 (NLT)



If you're looking to be challenged as a Christ follower, these verses are a great place to spend some time.

Paul encourages these Christians to "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." That statement is huge... live in sync with the gospel (the good news about Christ). Paul is saying let the good news about Christ be so dominant in your life that you can't help but lift up Christ.

What would your life look like if you were to live motivated by the good news of Jesus Christ? What day to day changes would you anticipate? Paul gives us a few ideas of what life would look like. First he talks about the unity that comes as a result of this lifestyle. He says "Then ... I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel." Paul knows that Satan always looks to divide but that the love of Christ creates unity. Here he says that when that love of Christ changes the hearts ofindividuals it will create a group dynamic of unity.

One last thing... I won't go into detail here about the kind of scary situations Christians were in at this time, but lets just say that following Christ was not for the faint of heart. Paul encourages these Christians by telling them that when their life is dominated by Christ, they would have the ability to stand unfrightened in very scary situations.

For your day today in a nutshell:
God wants each of us to live our lives with one thing on the front burner--what Jesus Christ did for each of us so that we could live in a relationship with Him. If we live that way we will lift Christ up, live in unity with other Christ followers, and live "unfrightened" even when things get tough.
 

A Thankful Thought


Recently, a good friend of mine (who was also a huge role model in my life) passed away. He showed through his actions to live for the Kingdom of God everyday, and through those actions, people came to know Jesus. I am so thankful for those leaders that God has put into my life, like my friend. I am also thankful for my father, and the love of Jesus that he has raised me with. He has taught me to always use my gifts to glorify the Lord. He has been a great leader all through my life for that reason. I hope to one day take the knowledge that I have learned from all those role models in my life and their gifts and pass them on to my children. Along with my family and friends, my wife has had a huge impact on me, and I thank God everyday that he has blessed me with such great wife who challenges me to better myself and my gifts for Jesus. I guess when it comes down to it, I am thankful for the relationships in my life and how they've helped me develop my spiritual gifts and relationship with Jesus.

A NewSpring Staff Member



Add a Comment

Name:


Email:


Comment: