Devotions
Rev Gav
Action
Philippians 1:3-11
I thank my God for every remembrance of you, always in every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, for all of you are my partners in God’s grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the tender affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what really matters, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Reflect
Paul wrote from prison to the church based in Philippi, a Roman Colony in northern Greece and one of the first places Paul preached (you can read about it in Acts 16). It was the first place in Europe to hear about Jesus and it was there that Lydia gave her life to Christ (both her and her household). The church in Philippi had grown and, at the time of writing, it was supporting Paul in prison. So, what did Paul have to say to them?
We have a tendency to think of the church to which we belong in isolation; however, when God looks at the church, God sees just one church — yes, many expressions — but one church; one bride of Christ; one body.
Church should never be something we simply attend. Church, by its very nature, is a group of people with a central purpose or mission, working towards a common goal. We are partners in the gospel — joining in with the mission of God in the world, each of us with a role to play and committed to mucking in — sharing in worship, prayer, support, and friendship. None of us are called to an isolated personal relationship with God. We are called to be partners in the gospel!
Recognising this partnership, Paul prays that their love will, “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you will be able to discern what is best… and be filled with the fruits of right living.”
You see, love leads to knowledge and insight, and this leads to discernment and right actions. Similarly, Jesus said, “If you love me then you will obey my commands,” and we often read this with the emphasis wrong, as if it is a threat; however, it is a statement of fact. If we love Jesus then we will end up obeying God’s commands!
It is tempting to start with right actions and hope they will lead us back to love, but it does not necessarily work that way round. In fact, if we do those things without love, Paul describes us as being a ‘clanging cymbal’ — lots of noise but not much in the way of warmth.
Love is a verb. Love is a doing word. In other words, we can choose to love, and when we do so, we open up the possibility for God to work in and through us.
If I choose to love you, I learn about you, discern your needs, and then engage in acts of loving service towards you — but it all starts with love.
Today, think about someone who you find difficult to love. Perhaps do not pick someone who has traumatised you — start small. Make a conscious decision to love them. Nothing more. Nothing less. Choose to love them, and keep choosing to love them, and see where God takes you.
Pray
Holy God
Help me remember that I am
a partner in your Gospel,
and called to be your love
to a hurting and broken world.
Help me to choose love
and be open to your Spirit
working in and through me.
This day and forever.
and then