Paul penned these words approximately thirty years after Christ’s death. Thirty years . . . a lifetime for some. Yet, what a difference a lifetime can make! Christ, who was brought to trial and condemned to death before Caesar, was now being worshiped by members of Caesar’s household! This probably included slaves, guards, and civil servants of every kind.

Thirty years ago I was in grade school. Thirty years from now I will most likely be retired. What I do with each day in between is my choice. How I spend my time here has the power to make a difference, to change lives, to altar the direction of generations to come. Or, if I choose, things can stay pretty much the same, despite my time here. It all depends on how I choose to spend my days, my weeks, my years, my life.

We each have that choice, you know. We can spend our days, our lives for ourselves. Or, we can spend our lives pursuing a loftier goal, a higher calling. At the end of our time on this earth, we can look back and see a lot of “stuff” we have acquired. Or, we can look back and see that lives were changed, people are different, and the world is a better place because of our time here.

Paul could have used his education, his family background, his abilities to further himself politically. But instead, he poured out his life for Christ. Why? Because he knew Christ. He knew Him. He had experienced a lifetime without Christ – the first part of his life. And then, he met the One who changed his life, who put everything into perspective, who forgave his sins and wiped away his guilt and gave him joy and a reason to live. And he didn’t want to keep such a wonderful, life-changing secret to himself.

Now, thirty years later, because of Paul’s influence, there were people in all walks of life – Jews and Gentiles, slaves and freemen, even members of Caesar’s own household – who were Christians! Oh, that my life and your life would be spent so well! Where will we be thirty, twenty, ten, even five years from now? Who will be different because of our walk here? It all begins with a step. And I pray that each step you take, that I take will bring someone, somewhere closer to knowing the freedom, the joy, the peace that can only be found through Christ!

Dear Father, Oh, I want to live for You! Please guide my steps. Use my life as You will, to bring people to Your love.

Amen

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More than twenty years ago, one of the great singers and songwriters of our time wrote a song titled, “To God Be the Glory.” I wonder if Andrae Crouch had been studying this passage in Philippians as he penned the now famous lyrics of that song.

Paul wrapped up his address to the Philippians with a big “thank you” for their generosity. He assured them that God, who had used them to meet Paul’s needs, would now be generous to them, as well. God is good and kind and benevolent and generous beyond measure. To Him be the glory!

For this post, I’d like to defer to Mr. Crouch. I think he says it better than I ever could:

How can I say thanks
for the things you have done for me
Things so undeserved
Yet you give to prove your love for me
The voices of a million angels
Cannot express my gratitude
All that I am or ever hope to be
I owe it all to Thee

(Chorus)
To God be the glory
To God be the glory
To God be the glory
For the things He has done
With His blood, He has saved me
By His power, He has raised me.
To God be the glory
For the things he has done

(Bridge)
Just let me live my life
And let it be pleasing, Lord to Thee
And should I gain any praise,
Let it go to Calvary.

With His blood, He has saved me
By His power, He has raised me.
To God be the glory
For the things he has done.

Amen, and Amen

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Don’t you just love the smell of hot, fresh apple pie, straight from the oven, laced with cinnamon? I do. I love it so much, I invest a small fortune in candles that have that exact smell. There is just something about a fragrant, sweet-smelling aroma that relaxes me and brings joy to my heart.

When we give with the right motives, that gift goes through an amazing metamorphosis. It blesses the receiver. Then, it wafts its way up to the very throne of heaven and pleases our God with the scent of generosity, purity and love. I can just imagine our wonderful Father, breathing it in, saying, “Oh, I just love that smell! My children are baking up a wonderful recipe of love.”

We must remember, however, that the recipe is not completed by our gift. It is completed by our hearts, by our motives. When we give as a tax write-off, or to impress others, or to appease our misplaced guilt, the fragrance takes on a bitter smell. The sweet fragrance comes from the purity of a gift given simply out of love, concern and generosity.

Just as we buy candles so our homes will smell nice, and we wear perfume or cologne so our bodies will smell nice, we need to remember to keep our spirits smelling nice! We don’t want our heavenly Father turning His face away because our souls are sending off a foul odor. We want to please Him. And one way to please Him is to look for ways to bless others with our gifts.

Oh, our gifts need not be large. Just as a pinch of cinnamon goes a long way in a recipe, our generosity, no matter how small the actual gift, will produce a sacrifice that will bless the receiver and bring a smile to God’s face. And a smile from God is oh, so much better than a tax write-off!

Dear Father, Please help me to give to others with a pure heart.

Amen

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My son, Foster, will turn six years old in a few weeks. He has been dropping hints about what he wants for his birthday. He wants a guitar. And a race track. And a tent. He is not shy or embarrassed at all about what gifts he would like to receive. But Paul . . . Paul was different.

Paul really didn’t care about adding to his earthly bank account. He trusted God to meet his needs, and he lived from day to day, knowing God would provide. He wanted the Philippians to know that he wasn’t hinting for another gift.

While Paul wasn’t concerned with his earthly bank account, he was concerned with the heavenly account of his children in the faith. He knew the benefits of these gifts were temporary for him. They would provide a few meals, a new coat when he needed one, lodging for a while. For them, however, the gifts were eternal.

2 Corinthians 9:6 tells us, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” The benefits of a gift are temporary. The benefits of giving are eternal. Paul knew that God would provide, and God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator of heaven and earth certainly doesn’t need our money. God wants our hearts. And we can often trace our hearts by following our checkbooks.

We may think no one knows about those little gifts sent to the Christian Children’s Fund, or to the orphanage in China, or to the missionary in the Ukraine. We may think that our little bit makes little difference. But God knows, my friend. And God will take our pennies and stretch them into miracles! And as an added bonus, God keeps track not of our pennies, but of our hearts . . . and He will generously reward those whose hearts are bent toward serving Him and serving others.

Dear Father, Please teach me to give.

Amen

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Paul was a tentmaker. He knew what it was to work hard, and to earn a living. Always in the past, he had earned his keep, and had never had to ask others for money. Yet, as Paul’s ministry grew, he found it more and more difficult to do ministry and earn a living. He was faced with a choice: either earn money to live on and let his ministry suffer, or devote all his time to the ministry and stop eating. He chose the latter.

Paul had planted many churches, and had touched countless lives with the good news of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many of these churches had the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. They were grateful for Paul’s ministry to them. They just forgot to show it.

Only the Philippians remembered Paul by sending him financial gifts. They knew he would never ask for money. The way he saw it, God knew his needs, and God would supply those needs. And God used the Philippians on more than one occasion to meet the needs of this great servant of God.

God rewarded their faithfulness. He made sure that for all of eternity, the rest of the world would know of their generosity to Paul. Can you imagine having your name, your church recorded in God’s written Word as an example to other churches and other Christians? Can you imagine being used as the standard for godliness and Christian love? Wow!

God wants us to take care of the people He has called to serve Him. When we don’t, when we treat our ministers as servants and expect them to live as paupers and beggars, God frowns. But when we make it our business to love, support, pray for and yes, even financially provide for His chosen ministers, God smiles. And God rewards those who love Him enough to care for His chosen ones.

Dear Father, Thank You for the men and women who have given their lives to serve You. Many of them have made a difference in my life. Please show me how You would like me to show love and support for Your servants.

Amen

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A group of ladies just left my house. Tonight was our first Bible study together. As we went around the circle sharing a little about ourselves, each one shared the need for friends, for a support system. It is good to have someone with whom to share our troubles, isn’t it?

So many times, we drudge our way through our days, lonely and sad, wishing we had a friend. Yes, we have Christ, and He will never leave us! But even God said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” (Genesis 2:18). Sometimes, we need a real flesh-and-blood person to wrap loving arms of friendship around us, and to share our joys and our heartaches.

It is ironic that many of us live in crowded cities, work in crowded office buildings, shop in crowded grocery stores . . . and yet we are alone. Almost every one of us feels alone. We smile politely at those around us, and we withdraw into our cocoons. We are afraid to reach out, to let others share our troubles, because that makes us vulnerable. If they know our troubles, they can hurt us. And so, we are alone.

Paul reached out to the Philippians, and they reached out to him. What joy was found in the simple act of reaching out, of acting in love and concern for another person! In the simple act of sending a financial gift, the Philippians connected with Paul. He knew he was not alone. He knew someone cared.

Many of you reading this have felt lonely. I know I have. But tonight, as I write this, I don’t feel lonely. I feel connected, simply because a few of us decided to meet together, to pray, to study God’s Word, and to share each other’s lives. We should make it a habit to reach out to others in friendship, for there is great joy, great freedom in having someone with whom to share life’s burdens.

Dear Father, Thank You for the gift of friendship. Please help me to give that gift to someone this week.

Amen

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The standard life for the Christian is a victorious life. However, many of us walk around living sub-standard lives. We don’t have to, but we do. We accept defeat as our normal way of life, and we live like losers instead of winners.

But Paul reminds us that we are on the winning team! We may not be cracker-jack players by ourselves, but we have Jesus Christ, the star quarterback on our team! And we can do through Him what we cannot do on our own. We can win. Every single time.

Paul didn’t say Christ will do all things for us. We are responsible for the doing. But when we act in faith, when we live in obedience to God, Christ will provide the strength! Paul also didn’t say that we can do all things on our own. When we act according to our own will instead of according to God’s will, then we forfeit God’s power.

When we combine our actions with God’s strength, we will live the victorious life! Though mountains may fall, we will stand. Though fires surround us, they will not consume us. Though waters threaten to cover us, we will not drown. Christ will give us strength!

This means, for you and for me, that we can tell others about God’s love, no matter how shy we may be. Christ will give us strength! This means that we can lose those extra pounds to become healthy, vibrant people. Christ will give us the strength. We can say no to that sin that seems to trap us every time, for Christ will give us strength. We are strong, not in our own power, but in the power of the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. We are victorious. We are winners. We are Christians.

Dear Father, Thank You for giving me strength for all things. Please help me to act in Your will and in Your power.

Amen

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Paul must have been a much better person than I am. After all, my circumstances are glorious compared to his! He was sitting under lock and key, totally dependent on the kindness and compassion of other people to care for his most basic needs. He knew what it was to be hungry. Lonely. Rejected. Despised. And yet, he was content.

I can picture him sitting near a window, feeling the breeze, yet unable to fully enjoy it. Smelling the scent of freshly baked bread, but being unable to taste it. Hearing the laughter of children and the conversations of adults, yet not being able to do the one thing he longed to do more than anything: tell them of God’s love for them. Still, he was content. How can this be?

The reason Paul was able to pen such lofty words is because he had come to understand that contentment is a choice. It can never be based on one’s circumstances, for circumstances will shift under our feet like an earthquake. It cannot be dependent on something more than we already possess, for we will always want something more and something more and something more.

Contentment means being satisfied with things just as they are. It means finding joy from within, not from without. And the only way we will ever find joy within is if God puts it there. Well, guess what? God has put the wellspring of joy, of life within each of His children. We just have to look for it. Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” When we seek God, we find Him. And where God is, there is joy and peace and love – all the things that bring contentment.

I am the worst about wanting the “something more.” I have a perfectly wonderful home. But I want my kitchen remodeled. Actually, I want to sell this house and build a home in the country. But if I let those things determine my happiness, I will never be happy, for once I get those things, there will just be something else. I want to be like Paul. Will you join me? Together, we can seek God. When we find Him, and we most certainly will find Him, we will find Paul’s wonderful secret – the peace and joy that comes from a right relationship with God.

Dear Father, Please forgive me for seeking happiness and joy and contentment outside of You. Please be patient with me, and keep reminding me that true peace only comes from You. I love You.

Amen

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In the days of the early church, prisoners were not cared for by the state. They relied on the generosity of family and friends to provide for their needs. Paul had not asked the Philippian church for help. Rather, he had asked the Lord. And at last, help had arrived in the form of a financial gift from his Philippian friends.

Apparently, this wasn’t the first gift the Philippians had sent. They had shown their love and support with a previous gift as well. But in those days, there was no Fed Ex or UPS, or even USPS. Travel was difficult and dangerous. And certainly, the danger factor was increased because of Paul’s predicament. No one really wanted to announce they were the friend of a prisoner.

Paul was so very grateful, so very relieved to receive help at last. Yet, he didn’t want to make them feel guilty for not sending help sooner. “I’m fine,” he assured them. “I’ve learned to be content in any circumstance.” He was grateful, but he didn’t want to be a burden. He didn’t want to beg; rather, he relied on the God to deliver what he needed, when he needed it. He knew the Holy Spirit would impress on the heart of someone, somewhere to send help.

Do you ever feel impressed to give a gift, or send a letter, or make a phone call? Perhaps you don’t know why you feel you need to do that, but yet, the feeling is there. More than likely, that is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. Someone, somewhere needs a friend, or a hug, or a gentle voice. Someone, somewhere needs to know that somebody cares.

It is sad to me that of all the churches, all the people Paul had helped, the Philippians were the only ones to reach out in this way. Their example should be a lesson to us all: when we get the feeling we should reach out to someone with love, compassion and friendship, we need to act on that feeling! We never know what situation lies at the receiving end of that phone call or letter. And, we never know when we may be the ones praying, needing someone to deliver hope to our doorsteps.

Dear Father, Please help me to stop being so self-centered. Help me to act on those hunches I get to show love to others, knowing that they are from You.

Amen

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