Day 185 "Jesus, the Waymaker" (Philippians: Chapter Two)

Mark Hogan (Grace Walker)
Jan 9, 2020
5 min read

Sometimes, life simply comes down to the choices we make and who we choose to follow and emulate. When it comes to whom you will follow, I encourage you to seek out someone who has your best interest at heart, one who has laid down their life so that you can have life and have it anew, and one who shows evidence of a loving heart clothed in humility.

In chapter two of Philippians, Paul exhorts that our attitude should be the same as Christ's.

Jesus is our waymaker.

Chapter Two:

:1 "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, any comfort from

his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,"

Liken unto an "if-then" statement, Paul is first qualifying the Christians at Philippi with the "if" portion of the statement. If your lives are any different now that Christ is in your lives? If you have experienced encouragement? Comfort from his love? How about any fellowship with the Holy Spirit? Have you felt God's tenderness and compassion upon you? Has God caused you to see the world differently with the same attitude of tenderness and compassion as he has shown you?

:2-4 "then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but

in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interests of others."

Now, for the "then" portion of the statement. If you lives have been changed, then do the following: be like-minded with the same love, be one with each other in purpose, be no longer selfish- being focused only on your own concerns and what is important to you, consider placing your interest onto others and consider their

needs more importantly than your own. What Paul is saying is that if their lives

have experienced a difference with Christ, then this is what they should do now. He was probably thinking to himself that if their lives weren't any different now, let's go back and revisit the drawing board to see why. Maybe, they hadn't really accepted Christ? Maybe, they lack proper understanding? In either case, the goal

is not to seek after self-indulgence through the freedom that Christ has given them.

And all of this holds true for the believer today. I wholeheartedly believe that

the most important thing for us a believers is to understand and implement love

in our lives. Love changes everything.

:5 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ."

:6-8 "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something

to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as man, he

humbled himself himself and became obedient to death- even death on a

cross!"

Oh, that we would find someone so worthy to emulate, to inspire us to be

greater than what our own hearts and eyes can feel and see! Take a close

look at Jesus. Has greater love every walked in the midst of men? The ultimate goal for our spiritual lives is to become like Jesus, in both attitude and in action.

:9-11 "Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is

above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven

and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory

of God the Father."

Jesus, the king of kings, Lord of Lords, is worthy to be followed and deserving

of great respect and honor. Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

: 12-13 "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who

works in you to will and to act according to his good pleasure."

At first glance, one would think that God is a God that we should tremble and fear

before him. But a deeper understanding of the Spirit within us changes our perception. Like infant children who need some fear in their lives to keep them

out of harm's way, the ultimate intent is for the child to mature into adulthood no longer needing fear to protect them. In the same light, as we begin to walk with Christ, it is difficult to let go of our old selfish ways and having some fear of God is one way of protecting us from slipping back into our old ways. But as we mature in Christ, we no longer need fear to protect us. In fact, fear prevents intimacy with someone. Therefore, the greatest motivator to continue into a deeper walk with God is not fear, but love. When love begins to permeate through all areas of a Christian's life, then fear is no longer needed and is discarded.

"Perfect love casts out all fear." 1 John 4:18

"let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance

of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a

guilty conscience." Hebrews 10:22

"according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in

Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may

approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:11-12.

:14-16 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become

blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and de-

praved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold

out the word of life."

Have you ever stopped to think what is at the root of arguing or complaining?

Do they not stem from one's own point of view and wants? How is it possible that we could reach a point in our lives where we no longer complain or argue about the things around us? It would take a different mindset. A mindset that

was capable of focusing on the needs and thoughts of others administered out of love. It is difficult to hear the instruction not to complain or argue as

if we are simply able to comply quickly and sufficiently change our ways. But

we resist. Only when we see things differently, when we comprehend with a

different mindset, can our actions meet up with our thoughts. Hence, the value

and life changing, mind altering, affects of love.

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

The Christian walk with Jesus is a lifestyle. It is untying the ropes that binds one to the past and one's old ways to embrace a new adventure and life with Christ as one's guide and Lord. It is here, where love is the open seas upon which we are to venture, that our lives begin to change. No matter the condition of the seas, Jesus will never leave nor forsake us. It is a journey whose destination is forever and forever will be filled with love. Love changes everything.

**************************************************************************

Sometimes in life there are those moments when one simply reflects on who God is and what he is doing in one's life. I invite you to listen to Leeland sing "Waymaker."