Philippians 4:1 So then, my friends, how dear you are to
me and how I miss you! How happy you make me, and how proud I am of you!—this,
dear friends, is how you should stand firm in your life in the Lord.
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“Why doesn’t he
ever call me to check in on me?” and “Why do I have to be the one who responds
to her needs?” were questions I have asked about certain people. After a while,
I stopped calling and responding to people I was not getting anything “from.”
- I wanted to be served “for a change.”
- I wanted to have some attention “for a change.”
- I wanted to engage in a storybook friendship “for a change.”
Paul raises the bar
on friendship by giving it purpose. He mentions how dear the people are and how
happy they made him feel and how proud he is of them. Why? Because they shared
experiences in their life in the LORD.
My Observations
- GOD wants the best for me, so HE gave HIS one and only SON to die for me.
- When JESUS was raised from the dead HE gave me the HOLY SPIRIT to live inside me because I believed I needed a Savior.
- Now that I am saved, GOD wants me to want HIS best for others.
Giving oneself to
others is commendable, but when I do it in the middle of being needy, it can
become detrimental. I mean, friendship is messy. When I am in need, so is the
next person. Some people stay in need for decades because GOD is shaping HIM or
her to do something great and is not finished yet. Meanwhile, I may take pity
on myself and say “What about me?”
GOD doesn’t want me
to give up on him or her because amazing transformations are happening that I
cannot see. But when a glimpse of GOD comes out of any of us, HE is pleased. I
am glad the HOLY SPIRIT fills me up so I can overflow HIS love to others.
Challenge
- What is the “life in the LORD” look like to you that the writer speaks about?
- Have you ever asked “What about me?” when thinking about certain people?
- Will you seek GOD to fill you up daily so HIS purpose will overflow from your heart and so you can endear “that” person and miss “that” person and be happy and proud of “that” person for CHRIST today?
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