DAY 8: What is your Life Offering?

 

DAY 8

(My Reflections on Ephesians: DAY 1/ DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / DAY 6)

(Philippians: DAY 7)

Worship Songs: We Bow Down by Twila Paris & You Are Lord Of Heaven by Randy Rothwell

Reading: Philippians 2

But I will rejoice even  if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. - Philippians 2:17

How is your life an offering to God? 

Paul, in prison, is now a man unafraid of death. If his life was to be taken ~ a liquid offering, as a result of sharing his faith and preaching the gospel, then it is something that he will *rejoice* in.  

He is eager to meet his Maker. He knows he was obedient. He knows he did his part in the fulfillment of God's plan for his life and the people he disciples. 

His joy was clearly not based on the physical circumstances that he was in. His joy rested knowing that whether he lived or died, it's all for Christ. 

Wow. 

This is the man who wrote 13 out of the 27 books of the New Testament. The man whose Holy Spirit-inspired words have become some of our classic life verses. Even many, many, many years after his death, (approx 2000 years), he continues to bear fruit here on earth. Can you just imagine the rewards he received from God when he went up to heaven?

How about us?

Have we thought about the things that we have done, purely out of love for Jesus? Not the ones for ourselves, or for our conscience, or for show. 

Philippians 2:5-8 shows us exactly what Jesus Christ did for us simply out of pure love. In verses 6 to 7 alone, Paul says "Though He was God, He did not think equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges, He took the humble position of a slave and was born a human being....(v8) He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross."

Let those words sink in for a bit. Munch on it. Read it twice, thrice, read it over and over again until it sinks in. 

God was so pleased with this that because of His obedience, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names. 

"That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:10-11

Do you see now what impresses God most? 

If the life of Christ as an example is difficult to process for you, St. Paul gives us a clearer idea of what pleases God most. In vv 3 to 4, he says "Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too." 

Selflessness and humility impresses God.

You see, the Kingdom of Heaven is upside down. You have to be the last to be the first. You have to be a servant to lead. You have to give to receive. Our earthly achievements - whether in school or at work - do not have the same value to God as honoring our parents, loving the poor, and having compassion for the needy. Those achievements fade in comparison to doing things that are more important to the heart of God.  

Paul challenges us then to "Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. (v15)" To compromise on what God expects of us, is to live like crooked and perverse people. We don't want that. 

How then can we avoid that? The answer still is in Philippians 2, this time in verse 13 - "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him."

Can we hear Him? Are we listening? Can we change our prayers to "Father, align my desires with Your desires for me? Make me want what You want." 

Do our lives point to Christ? Maybe you have a list of things in your heart right now that you have been doing ~ ministry, helping a needy friend, honoring your parents. That's good. This is where we start. But remember that

we can never outdo God, so there is always more that we can do for Him.

How is your life an offering to God? How can you make your life an offering to God? Yesterday we quoted Philippians 1:20, but I didn't get to focus on the last sentence which goes "And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die." 

When we get to heaven, God will not ask if you had an excellent academic record, or if you have been promoted several times. He will ask if you did things on earth that mattered to Him the most. 

Did you love like Me? Did you forgive? Did you think of others more than yourself? Did you share the word? Did you pray for the sick? Did you clothe the naked? Did you obey My desires for you? Did you walk on the path I set for you? Did you surrender to My will for your life?

What will your answer be? Well, you're still alive, you're still here. You still have a chance to give Him the answer He expects to hear from us. 

PRAYER: Father God, we thank You for the wonderful examples of lives lived to honor You. For Jesus Christ who became man and died a criminal's death for us, for St. Paul who did not see prison nor death as an obstacle for continually sharing the Good News, and for the many others who were martyred for their faith. We are sorry for the many times we put ourselves first, for the many times we prioritized our plans over Your plans. Here I am Lord, willing for You to work in me, give me the desire and the power to do what pleases You. May my life be a fragrant aroma before You. May the offerings I lay at Your feet be pleasing in Your sight. Remove any selfishness in me so Your plans for my life can be activated. Amen.