Philippians_1
Scripture
Philippians 1:29
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.
Observation-What does it say?
Paul is writing to members of the church in Philippi, a city in the northern part of Greece. In this opening part of the letter, Paul encourages the Philippians to be unified in the cause of Christ. In this encouragement he points out that, as members of the body of Christ, we will be united with him in suffering. And so, we ought to act in a manner as worthy of this calling.
Understanding-What does it mean?
I have never really been a typical sports fan. My Sundays have never been devoted to watching grown men, wearing tights, fight over a ball. No, my spectating has mostly been centered around the boring sports. I prefer to watch men battle it out step for step, or pedal stroke for pedal stroke, over a long grueling course. I have never really dreamed of being on the fifty yard line, but of being at the top of Le Alpe d’Huez. Le Alpe d’Huez, in France, climbs over three thousand feet in approximately nine miles, and includes more than twenty one switch-back turns. It has been made famous by names like Merckx, Hinault, and Pantani. It is a climb that has been a part of Le Tour d’France regularly since 1952.
Maybe it’s a little sadistic, but when I watch the people racing up this mountain I love the look, the grimace, the determination, the look of a man set not only on conquering an obstacle, but also tearing apart his competitors. At the top of the mountain, it is the one who prepared to suffer better that is the victor. When we look at the history books, we often don’t consider the time spent to prepare to suffer. In the case of Le Alpe d’Huez, we see the forty minutes or less of suffering, and the glory that follows.
I can only hope for the same of my life. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:17-18 “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” In comparison to eternity, this life is but a flicker, but it gives us an opportunity to prepare for the glory which we can have with Jesus. I want my life to resemble the words of Paul later on in his letter to the Corinthians, “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
Life Application
Jesus, I want to prepare my suffer a little bit better. Help me to take joy in diving deeper into your word. When I am tired or distracted, give me the grace to hear your voice. Give me strength to overcome the things that entangle me. Help me to discern when you are guiding me.
-Tyler Galloway