Philippians: Living for What Really Mattersনমুনা

I’m always wanting exact instructions in life. You know, A + B = C. If I do this, then that will happen. So I love that Paul gives us this type of instruction: 

If I…

- Learn to love appropriately

- Use my head to test my feelings so my love is sincere and intelligent

- Live a life of love

Then I…

- Will live an authentic life. 

Let’s be the kind of women who love everybody! All the time. No matter what. That’s a radical concept, isn’t it? It’s hard to love people who are very different from us, who drive us nuts, who are even toxic or dangerous. Love doesn’t mean we’re best friends with them or that we need to approve of their behavior. But we do need to love them as God loves them. They are His children, too. He loves them every bit as He loves you and me.

If we live a life of love in the way Paul is encouraging us to, we will be able to discern how to live pure and blameless (also translated as sincere and not causing others to stumble). In other words, Paul asks the Philippians to express their love in ways that show both a knowledge of how to obey God’s will generally, and, more specifically, of how to make moral decisions based on God’s will in the give-and-take of everyday living. 

My husband and I are always telling our kids, “Words matter,” and I think that’s partially what Paul is trying to say here. Words are overflow from the health of our hearts, so if we’re speaking death (unkindness or gossip), it’s likely our hearts aren’t in a good place. But as we pursue the life that really matters, as we seek for our love to abound more and more, we’ll find ourselves being more intentional with our words. We’ll find ourselves slower to speak when we’re grumpy. We’ll see the needs around us more clearly and sense God’s prompting about the right words to speak. 

Let’s commit to being women who speak life and love well. And as we do…I think we’ll start to see life spring up in new ways in the people around us.