EXPAND TO READ: PHILIPPIANS 3 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 13): This has surely been a struggle of mine my entire life, but especially since coming to faith. I often dwell on the things of my past and allow those experiences to identify me, control me, and even build judgments and opinions inside of me of how I should do things in this life. You tell us to forget about what is behind us and reach for what is ahead. Forgive me for doing kind of the opposite in my life, Father. Forgive me for often reaching for and taking hold of what is behind me instead of releasing that to You. Forgive me for often not reaching for the future You want for me and instead trying to dictate my own future based on my past experiences. Help me to grow in my spiritual maturity more, so that when I am reminded of things from my past, I do not take hold of them as a defining moment for me but rather an experience that I can learn from and use for Your glory and praise.
PROMISE (verse 21): Your promise here of a transformation is absolutely amazing. Although I have been stuck on a lot of the things from my past, You promise us that Jesus will transform us into the likeness of Himself. I have not allowed this to happen in my life as I have failed often to accept this promise truly and deeply for a transformed life. I have accepted it in some aspects of my life, but never fully so that You can work in me completely instead of piece-by-piece. Help me to know more about You, Father, so that I can be willing to accept the transformation You promise. Help me to understand more of Jesus, so that when He works in me for my transformation, I am not resistant to those changes.
ATTITUDE (verse 3): Paul writes that we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Jesus, and do not put our confidence in our flesh. Paul gives such a great outline for how we are to be living our lives in such few words and I am ashamed to say that I have not lived my life this way. I have often put my confidence in my flesh instead of boasting in You. I have often lived out my fleshly desires instead of serving by the Spirit of God. Help me to live this life more in the attitude of the Spirit and less in my selfish attitude of the flesh, Father. Help me to circumcise this flesh from my spiritual journey, so that as I do live out my faith it is according to my confidence in You and not a false confidence in my flesh.
COMMAND (verse 2): We are given a command of warning here. You tell us to watch out for “dogs,” evil workers, and those who mutilate the flesh. You tell us to essentially walk around in a cautious manner, remember that not everyone walks according to Your will in this life; some even walk in opposition of Your will by doing the Devil’s works freely and openly. I must be cautious of these people and accept this command as a warning in this life so that I do not give into the temptations they may produce in my spiritual journey. Help me to remain strong in my faith, Father, so that I may remain on Your path, but also help me with Spiritual discernment so that I may be able to identify the obstacles the evil doers of this life may try to put in my way.
EXAMPLE (verse 18-20): Paul gives us several examples to live by in these verses, but the one that sticks out the most is in these verses. These three verses convicted me a bit because I have lived my life on both ends of the spectrum that he discusses here. He opens with saying that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ and goes on to say their god is their stomach and that they are focused on earthly things. Although I have never purposely tried to be an enemy of the cross of Christ, I have lived many times, even occasionally still today, in a way that my flesh has guided my decisions and I have been focused on earthly things. Paul then writes that my citizenship is not of this earth, but of Heaven. If I am a citizen of Heaven, then I have been a “law breaker” for most of my life to the point that I am likely considered a felon in earthly terms. I understand the difference, but I do often struggle with embracing one way of living over another as my default. Thank You for this timeless example, Father. Thank You for always showing me examples that make sense in my own mind to illuminate what You are trying to say to me in a way that I understand, Father.
*DAILY NOTE: Paul’s passion always astounds me because I am able to sense his passion through these writings You had him do. I can sense how passionate he is about his faith and about letting go of the fleshly desires. I can also sense his humility in all of this because he recognizes quite often that he is not even close to as perfect as Jesus is. I want to live in this type of humility while also living in the passion that Paul has for his faith. Although I do have a strong faith, I do feel like I am lacking in the passion and conviction behind my faith at times. Paul seems to almost never waiver in his passion, even in those times that he is going through some extremely difficult times. Help me to open my heart more, Father, so that Your will for my life and the Spirit You have provided me begins to speak even louder in me than it ever has. Help me to heal and restore this broken, hardened, and torn heart that I’ve lived with for so long so that all that You are fills and replaces all that flesh that still remains in there.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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