Inspiration

Paul the apostle gives the following instructions to the church at Philippi in the book of Philippians, chapter 2:

 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

  Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. “

His words encourage the Philippians to base their actions and choices on the fact that they are in Christ, being loved by Him and indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.  The attitudes Paul highlights are those of the heart and mind; namely unity of purpose and love of each other.  The actions that proceed from these are selfless living, where others are put first; where one’s own dreams and hopes do not take over all of life.

      This is no small thing for anyone living in any age.  By nature and by culture we tend to put ourselves in the top spot, getting the bulk of the time and energy needed to live and achieve our ends.

But note that Paul does not say to just ignore our interests; he says to also seek to bolster the interests-hopes and dreams-of others.

You may say, as Paul, through the Spirit, anticipated, “How can I do this?”   As always the answer is to go back to Jesus Christ as our guide, our example, our Lord.

From Philippians again:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

  Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. “

What is instructive is that each of the commands at the top can be linked to what Jesus  

did for us, and so give us the power and strength to do what is called for.

We are told to do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Link that to the mind of

Christ as he “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied

 Himself...”  That attitude allowed Jesus to go forward in obedience to the Father.   So

we need not grasp or strive for some status or place of recognition, because God will give

us what we need for His purposes.

We are told to count others as more significant, in humility.  Jesus emptied Himself and

took the form of a servant.  That is a vivid picture of humility, of being of service to

another in one’s calling.  

We are told to look to the interests of others.  Jesus took our place on the cross, dying in

the place reserved for me.  His interests did not stop Him from suffering a particularly

ignominious and public humiliation and death.  His obedience to the Father let Him

put my interests ahead of His own, to include His life. 

That is a stunning attitude and awesome action, arising out of a love for the Father and a

love for us.  Because of His attitude, I can love, I can have joy and I can live.  Only in the

 example of Jesus is there power and instruction that leads to joy.

No Name

The Prophet from Away

Have you ever had trouble recalling someone’s name?  Name tags are a great help to me in that respect.  The face may look familiar, but the name escapes me.   I have found it especially true when I have moved to a new place.  Everything is different.  Routines are new, the geography is new, the weather is new, the people are new.  Being in a familiar place, where I am known and I know my way around is comfortable; it is easy to be there because I know what to expect.  Handling situations is nearly as easy as breathing. 

But when the place is new, all that certainty and confidence is gone. 

I was thinking about this as I was reading the book of Amos in the Bible.  Amos is about a man who was a shepherd and an arborist.  He worked outside with smelly animals keeping them safe and fed. Apparently, his second job was with sycamore-fig trees, keeping them healthy.  I imagine he looked like a farmer, with weatherworn skin and rough hands.   But then God called him to give His messages.  The twist came when Amos was not called to give God’s words to his own people, Judah, but to go to the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and give the message.  That country had separated from Judah and had made significant cultural and religious changes.  It was foreign to Amos to an extent. 

Not only was the Northern Kingdom foreign, but Amos was an unknown person to them.  He was a shepherd, which was not an exalted profession.  He was low class, uneducated most likely and a country bumpkin.  BUT God had called him to speak out to Israel, so Amos went. 

He was not welcomed, and in fact his preaching so annoyed the powerful in Israel that the king was told about him. The  people in power thought Amos was conspiring against the king and seeking his downfall.  Imagine thinking that a lowly shepherd would overthrow a king. But any threat had to be dealt with properly.  Prophecy and prophets are like that; God letting a person know what is going to happen and the prophet being rejected for telling the truth.  Amos was told to be silent and to go home. 

Unwelcome in a strange place and culture, an unknown with no social standing, prophesying to the king and high religious figures.  They could afford to ignore Amos, after all, who listens to smelly shepherds?  Certainly, Israel had prophets of their own, educated, cultured men who could speak the wisdom of God.  This no name prophet was unimportant.  The people of Israel did not even need to give him a hearing.

Yet his name was not unknown to the God of the universe.  In chapter 7 of Amos, God addresses him by name.  He speaks to Amos in a conversation because Amos is concerned for the people of Israel, and he asks God for mercy on them.  The no name prophet intercedes for the people that would discard him and his words.  The treatment Amos received at the hands of Israel did not stop him for seeking mercy for them.  They treated him as of no importance, but God knows his name and that was enough for Amos.

God knows your name as well.  He knows the days He has allotted you, the amount of hair on your head, your entire history.  This is how we exist and go on.  If God knows my name, may it be enough.

On An Even Keel

 

My husband and I went to the ocean yesterday.  The sun was shining and the temperatures were warm.  The leaves are just beginning to change colors, which made the ride to the shore beautiful.  It was an ideal fall day. 

We drove to a small town on the ocean, with a working harbor.  On this day, several boats were being moved from the water to winter storage.  The process requires lifts, cranes and large trailers and several workers to guide it all.  I watched as a smaller sailboat was hoisted out of the water and moved to the trailer waiting to carry it away.  As I looked at the boat, I saw the keel hanging down from the middle of the underside of the boat.  It looked like a flat panel and it ended with a large oval off the bottom edge.  The large oval is a weight.  It was probably made of lead making it very heavy. 

The keel is a counterbalance to the upper part of the ship, the sails and the mast. Its purpose is to keep the ship upright, when then wind would push it over.  The keel also acts to keep the ship from moving sideways allowing it to move forward.  That weight is what makes it possible for the ship to move in the water. 

I thought about how our lives are directed when the Spirit of God is what gives us the weight and balance to move forward.  How His presence can offset some of the desires we have that may lead us off course, or tip us over and lead to sinking.   His is a quiet, unseen presence, but utterly vital to life. 

Many times we have met others whose life and choices have led them to places they would never have dreamed of going, to places of sorrow and pain. It has even been called “making shipwreck” of one’s life. That weight of presence, that counterbalance to temptation was not engaged, not heeded. 

When a sailboat is in the water, the keel is totally unseen.  What is seen it the boat’s ability to maneuver and stay on course and stay upright.  The effects of the keel are visible and verifiable even if the keel is unseen.  Like the Spirit of God, our lives will reflect His action in us or our rejection of His weight and influences.  

What about the course you are on?  Is your keel functioning and in place?