Whatever happens… are we ready?
Philippians 1:27-29 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,”
When we become believers and followers of Christ, we hear about the wonderful ways we’ll enjoy God’s blessings, mercy and grace. What we don’t often spend time considering is the cost of following Jesus. For those of us living in the West, that’s not really something we’re confronted with very often. But believers in closed countries where Christianity is outlawed, the cost is understood….and sometimes, believers pay with their lives. And they’re willing. That should make us pause and do some introspection. Is our faith strong or are we inch-deep with fragile roots? And are we ready….for whatever happens...?
There is an ever-growing pressure on believers, worldwide. Media, social and otherwise, decries our faith and our convictions as intolerant and abrasive. Believers are taunted, pressured, and shamed in an effort to pressure us to relent and relinquish the standards of our faith and soften our convictions. The goal is that we would substitute our Lord for a lesser god that would not be offensive to those living in darkness and pursuing sin. It’s true, to unbelievers Jesus is the Rock that makes them stumble and the stone that makes them fall (1 Pet 2:8). This world is trying to diminish the power of the gospel and defame the name of Christ. Christians are becoming more and more a target of ridicule and, in some countries, persecution and abuse. And, friends, it’s only going to increase. We are witnessing a battle between darkness and light unfold before our eyes. We have to be ready. So, how do we prepare our hearts and minds?
Scripture tell us we are called to suffer for Christ. Are we ready? When everything starts to circle the drain (and at some point, it will), nothing else will matter. When money is worthless and governments fall, when disorder reigns and religious freedom is a thing of the past, we need to be confident that our sons and daughters will stand firm in their faith. We want to be confident they will live by their convictions and they would be willing to give their all for Christ. Friends, it’s happening in some places now. Who is to say any nation would be immune? Will our sons and daughters have a faith strong enough to withstand the pressure, the persecution? Will they have an eternal perspective that allows them to view these light and momentary troubles as nothing compared to the eternal reward God has waiting?
We need to be on our knees praying a hedge of protection, a spiritual shield around our sons and daughters. And it’s likely we’re pretty good at that, it’s likely we’ve been pleading for God’s protection since they were born. But we also need to pray that they will be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10). We need to pray that WHATEVER HAPPENS…. Whatever (that’s a hard word to wrap our Momma minds around, isn’t it?) Whatever happens, that our sons and daughters would conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel: suitable and befitting the gospel of Christ.
Let’s take time this week to memorize and pray through Philippians 1:27-29. God’s word never returns void. Scripture renews our minds. And you’ll begin to see how Philippians 1:27-29 applies to so many things around you. Memorize, and then let’s pray for our sons and daughters:
That whatever happens, they would conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Worthy of Christ- oh how we should crave that as our heart’s desire.
That they would stand firm in the Spirit. They need to be listening to and sensitive to the Holy Spirit in their life.
That they would strive, together with other believers, for the faith of the gospel. This means they need to be in fellowship with other believers.
That they would not be afraid of those who oppose them. (Can they spot the opposition?)
That they would have confidence they will be saved by the Lord- He’s marked them as His own.
If they are not walking with the Lord, pray that the Holy Spirit would stir in their heart and bring them to repentance.
Pray that they would be ready, and willing, to suffer for Christ. 1 Peter 4:13 “But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” and that they would be rejoicing that His glory will be revealed in them.
We have a full week’s worth of prayer here. Be sure to set aside time to enjoy focused prayer. It’s not a drive-through, it’s more of a sit down meal. Take your time to savor this time with the Lord.
Consider journaling your thoughts and prayers. Deepening your prayer life is not a ‘quick process’, but a deliberate one that requires you to be thoughtful and intentional and willing. Write down how the Lord is speaking to you and note how He’s taking you deeper into prayer. How do you see Him working? And if you’re willing, share with us!
Pray without ceasing, friends.
Philippians 1:27-29 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,”
Pray It Again
It’s always good to pray. It’s beneficial to bring things to the Lord again and again. He never tires of hearing us call on His name and talk with Him in prayerful fellowship. He knows what weighs on our hearts, but He wants to hear us share it with Him, trusting in His provision, intervention and Sovereign authority. Let’s pray through these prayer points one more time:
Pray that our sons and daughters see God’s work all around them today. Let’s pray they can and will testify to others about the Presence and Power of their Mighty God.
Pray that our sons and daughters would have perspective and peace despite the uncertainty of world leaders and fragility of peace.. Rather than being alarmed at what they see happening in the world, pray that they have confidence in our Mighty God and look forward to the day when He will reign forever, unchallenged on David’s throne. Pray that they long for God’s justice and righteousness over the temporary solutions offered by human leaders.
Pray that sons and daughters would realize that God requires their full attention and allegiance. Pray that they would look up, not around. Pray that they would not be distracted by all the ‘glitter’ of the season but would be committed to the Reason, Jesus.
Pray that our sons and daughters know, without a doubt, that their Mighty Warrior is rejoicing over them with singing, protecting and caring for them. Pray they have hope because of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. Pray for those who have faced loss this year, that they would find hope and comfort in Jesus.
Pray that our sons and daughters would know, without a doubt, that their worth, purpose and meaning are found in Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior, and their relationship with Him.. Let’s pray they are not ‘performance driven’ but soul-stirred by the Holy Spirit to run after God with all they have and all they are.
Pray without ceasing.
Yet He Saved Us
Psalm 106:8 “Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known.”
Look around. Our world is coming apart at the seams, isn’t it? People are gasping for life and grasping for anything to catch them from falling further into despair. Anger is strong and is expressed freely and often against others. So many people are struggling with a lack of purpose and meaning. They chase after things to fill the emptiness and yet they look around and exclaim, “there has to be more than this!” Sin is a destroyer. It decays us from our outward self with sickness and age all the way down to our innermost soul, trapped in darkness desperately searching for life and light.
When man sinned in the garden, God could have wiped it all away and started fresh. But He didn’t. No, He loved us too much for that. We were His image-bearers, the ones who walked with Him in the garden in the cool of the day, with whom He enjoyed sweet fellowship. So, instead of starting over, He made a way for His image-bearers to be redeemed and restored to fellowship with Him. And that way? Oh, it wasn’t the grand production you might imagine, no, it involved God stepping out of eternity and into time as a baby, the Christ-child, born to die for our sins.
Our purpose in life is bigger than our own agenda or accomplishments. It goes beyond ‘living our best life now’ and discovering ‘who we are meant to be’. God’s eternal plan was set in place long before the world was even created and each of us has a role, custom-written for us by the Father. Psalm 139:16 says “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
He saved us not because of anything we have done or could do, but for His glory and might alone! We, on our own, are so unworthy. 2 Timothy 1:9 says “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,” Oh dear ones, do we realize how precious we are to our Father?
Parents, have we instilled enough Biblical, Godly wisdom and knowledge into our sons and daughters that they truly understand this? -That their worth is in God alone to bring Him glory? Or, have we pressured them on the performance level, reinforcing an undercurrent of ‘I love you more if…’
You please me as a parent and do what I expect
You perform on the scoreboard
Your GPA is strong
Your career is successful
You have a family-husband, wife, grandkids… that I am proud of…
Oh, that may seem harsh, but friends, far too often young people strive to gain the approval of us, their parents, because we’ve created a narrative that tells them that is where their worth is found… or we withhold encouragement and love if they have not done these, and thereby reinforce those messages again. In our warped, human frailty, we struggle to make ourselves worthy and we fall into the trap of thinking we actually can.
Friends, if God loved us that way, we’d all be goners. There is NOTHING we can do that would make us acceptable to God or make us fit to gain His approval. And that, friends, is why Jesus came. He provided a way of salvation for us when there was no way. And why? “Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known.”
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters would know, without a doubt, that their worth, purpose and meaning are found in Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior, and their relationship with Him. Let’s pray they are not ‘performance driven’ but soul-stirred by the Holy Spirit to run after God with all they have and all they are. Let’s pray they are sold-out for Jesus…and let’s encourage them in that!!
Christmas Season Challenge: Whenever you see a manger scene, pray that others who see it would have their eyes opened to the gift of Jesus- the eternal stepping into the temporal to save our weary souls. Pray for salvation for all who need the Lord.
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Pray without ceasing.