This is day late due to moving my kids into College dorms, sometimes God gives us different things to do and we have to get our priorities straight. We need to know God to know what He chooses for us to do each day. Even if its hard work sometimes we just have to walk through it. Some times it is easier than others to repeat the words of Paul. He had his priorities straight!
For to me,
living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
The priorities of a Godly
man; he knew his calling and walked in it.
Paul and Timothy were on a
journey to share Christ’s story and connect it to the God of Abraham. He had gone
through life studying the word and working to be the best man for Father God that
he was taught to be. He thought he needed to do the deeds he did because he thought
he was doing the right thing and because God knew his heart and so He called his
name.
Paul went through a lot of
torment in his lifetime as a Christian. Being brought before Caesar, mistreated
by soldiers who were misguided and put in prison for long periods of time all
because he refused to stop telling people about God’s Truth.
Some of us would be upset
by all of this, but no, He knew that sharing the Truth was more important than
anything else and he gave his whole life to it from the time of his meeting
Christ on the road to Damascus
HE found joy in thinking
of his friends, even though they were still out there free to roam the country
and spread the Gospel, he had joy where many would be angry and full of plans
to get even over the people who put him in prison. He continued to write his
letters of encouragement even when he was in pain.
Can any of us do this
today? When trouble comes what do we do?
Can we even say that we
live for Christ in our daily lives or is it only on Sunday or Wednesday when
the ‘church’ needs us?
I know that it is my
desire to live for Christ and put Him and His desires for me first daily, but I
know that I fail way too often to do so. Thankfully I have godlly minded
friends who know the right questions to ask when I start to complain about
something; sometimes I don’t want to hear what God’s servants say to me but
eventually when it is God speaking a word of truth with my friend as a vessel, I
will accept it. Usually sooner than later, but not always I listen.
I am grateful today for
friends God brings into out lives to be there to give us a reality break, check
or a get real type of talk. Sometimes we need someone to tell us that wonderful
truth that we like to forget, “It is not about you!”
I went through a time in
my life when I did not want any more friends because so many of them had died
or moved away; I was tired of the pain of loss. I tried to distance myself and
God got me more involved with one person or another who has since become dear
to my heart. He brought the person into my life with a need, knowing I was a
person who could not say ‘no’ to a fellow parent. Through many times of
babysitting, giving rides to school, or whatever it was the need filled for the
person they became dear to me and God allowed me to let more friends in little
by little.
Funny how God is, but He
saw my need to help and their need to get help and created a bond of
friendship. He will make the best out of any situation! Now I can truly say
what Paul wrote in the following scripture. I thank God for all of my friends,
those living and those dead; and I truly thank Him for reminding me of the
special people in my life.
Every time I think of
you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ
from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will
continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus
returns. Philippians 1:3-6
I think the hard part for us when we loose a
friend for whatever reason is to see the point in it all but as Paul wrote; “he
who began the good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus
return”! Even if our friends move away, or pass away we can know there is a
purpose to their being in our lives and we can both share and glean from the
time we spent together.
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for bringing
people into our lives to connect the dots to Your purpose in our lives. Help us
to be open to new friendships and new appointments by you in our lives. Direct
our paths as always, in Jesus name, amen.
Suggested reading Philippians 1:1-30,Philipians
2:1-30, and Philippians 3:1-21