Meeting 7/18/20
Phil. 1: 22-26
"If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me."
Paul just finished saying, "to live is Christ, to die is gain." Now, he is faced with a very touchy subject involving the future. He is contemplating what might happen should he continue living on this Earth or the Lord take him home to heaven. We do the same thing. We play out scenarios into the future, based on our own judgement and understanding. We need to be extremely careful with the future. That's in God's business. That's His deal. It's locked in His time capsule, for only Him to know, and for us not to worry about. Our responsibilities include being obedient, following after Him, and continue trusting in His provision and plan. Our future will work out exactly as He plans and desires. We should pray for spiritual understanding and eyes that see the work He is doing.
I do like Paul's attitude here. He is working through the emotions and possibilities. There's nothing wrong with suffering through processes to come around to faith. I see that repeatedly throughout the Psalms. We need to give ourselves that grace. Work it out, with fear and trembling if necessary. Go through the options and hypothetical scenarios, but don't linger too long in the future. Recognize it is dangerous ground to walk on. Dwell on it only briefly, just long enough to come around to faith, wisdom,and the attitude God wants you to have, then get out of there before your hind end gets singed. We are called to live in the present, in His presence. Yes, He is also in the future, but you are not yet there. He designed us to live in the current moment, completely relying on Him to provide for the present day. In a way, it's our protection. He knows we are but sheep, prone to fear and worry about our well-being in the future. Trust Him with it and get back to what He wants you to do today. He will take care of your tomorrow.
We lost a good friend yesterday. It was a surprising outcome that developed quickly from a very freak accident. These things leave us hurting and confused. Why, Lord? Wouldn't it be better for them to have stayed here to encourage our faith? Of course, she gets the better deal by far, arriving in heaven, perfectly healed, singing a new song. But we are left a bit empty, saddened, and without that Godly influence she brought daily. We are left wondering about how we will fare in our future without her.
Again, notice the lack of selfish ambition as Paul considers why God might require him to stay on Earth. His purpose is to continue following Jesus alongside his fellow companions for their benefit. Their maturity and joy in the faith are his targets. And he truly wants to live a life that points to Jesus, not himself. What a great example. Casting Crowns decreed that same goal last night in their concert. They don't want people to remember them or even look to them. They want their listeners to focus on Jesus, who never leaves or fizzles out of culture like a band does. That was a great reminder for me to once again reconsider my heart and motives. "I don't want to leave a legacy. I don't care if they remember me. Only Jesus."
We don't know why God takes such good, strong, lighthouses out of our lives. I guess we don't deserve their being there for us in the first place, but it's tough when He removes them. Will we crash upon the rocks in the storm that fatigues us? Did we depend on these loved ones a bit too much? Is He calling us to bring our eyes back to Him alone, recognizing that His plan is beyond our imagination and comprehension? I propose we hold on loosely to all that is in this world, for this very reason. None of these are truly ours. These loved ones are God's alone. They aren't really ours. We are blessed to have them in our lives for a short time, but their true zip code is in Heaven, as is ours. I like the old 38 Special song, "Hold on loosely, but don't let go..." Like a flower or a sunset, our loved ones are blessings and benefits for a season, but then they fade away, just like we will when He calls us home. Will we have pointed to Jesus during the short time we have here?
