A commercial flight found themselves having trouble with their navigation system. The pilot got on the intercom to inform and comfort passengers. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to report that we are having difficulty with our navigational system, which means that we presently do not know where we are. However, you might be comforted to know that we are making excellent time."
Some people are going through life just like that. They're in a rush, but they don't quite know where they are headed. Last time we said if we are going to correct that, we must have a personal connection with God through faith in Jesus Christ. We can know we are headed for heaven one day, and guided in living as successfully as possible today!
A little boy was given a dollar to spend on candy while his mother was grocery shopping. He stood at the candy display the entire time mom selected her groceries. When mom was ready to leave, he had still not made his selection. When she asked what was taking so long, he explained, "This is the only dollar I've got and I want to make sure I do the right thing with it!'
We also need to understand that since we have only one life, we must make sure we do the right thing with it! As one who has a personal connection with God, how do I live in such a way as to experience true success? What should be the primary focus of my life? Paul speaks to this as he tells the Philippians his prayer for them. (READ TEXT)
Paul shares a truth that guarantees I'll do the right things in life: If I would live purposefully, I must live passionately. Paul says if our life is going to be focused on doing the right things, we must seek to . . .
1. Live Passionately - v. 9
Apart from relationships, love has no meaning. Oscar Thompson, in his book, "The Concentric Circles Of Concern," argued that the word, "relationship" is the most important word in the English language for that reason. When Paul spoke of the importance of love here, he had relationships in mind. But what relationships?
"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
That's what I think Paul is emphasizing. If my life is going to be focused on the right things, I must learn to love God and others intelligently ("knowledge") and intentionally ("depth of insight").
A. Loving intelligently - "knowledge"
The Greek word here is "epignosis," a combination of "epi," -"upon" and "gnosis," - knowledge." The word literally means, "knowledge on top of knowledge," and refers to what we call "heart knowledge" as opposed to "head knowledge." Rather than referring to acknowledging truth propositionally, it refers to the applying truth personally.
1) Loving God intelligently.
If I'm going to love God intelligently, I must seek to understand Him as He is, not as I want Him to be. Too often, we bring God down to the level of our understanding, rather than elevating our understanding up to the level of who He really is.
A Gallup poll in June 2016, revealed 89% of Americans believe in God. But while they believe in God, beliefs about Him are totally different than how the Bible portrays Him. God created man in his image and now it seems modern man has returned the favor.
Even though we have a personal relationship with God, we can have a faulty understanding about God. That's why we must grow in our knowledge of the Lord. Paul expressed this conviction:
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." - Philippians 3:8a (NLT)
2) Loving others intelligently.
The Bible says we're to love our immediate family, extended family, church family, and the human family - even our enemies. To do so, then I must endeavor to understand those in my life I'm called to love.
In his book, "The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People," Steven Covey says one of those habits is "seek to understand rather than to be understood." That is part of what Paul is telling us here. But our world is filled with people who don't apply this principle, consequently, our world is filled with hurting people. Christians are to set an example of what it means to love as God intended. Jesus said this should be a distinguishing characteristic of His followers:
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35 (NIV)
God calls us to focus on the needs of others in relationships, rather than our own. The world says, "Look out for number one," but God says to "Think about the needs of others" (Philippians 2:3-4).
We can't love God or others without seeking to do so intelligently, for it's only as we grow in understanding that we can love intentionally!
B. Loving intentionally - "depth of insight"
1) Loving God intentionally.
Paul says right understanding of God leads to righteous living for God.
"For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith." - Philippians 3:8b-9 (NLT)
Why? Because when I am growing in my understanding of God and His ways, I will care about what God cares about, and will find myself involved in the things He wants me involved in. The result will be a righteous life (vs. 10-11). In verse 10, Paul says I will be righteous within - "pure" and righteous without - "blameless."
2) Loving others intentionally.
As I give myself to the task of relating to others in understanding ways, I'll be in a position to meet their needs and in turn, be blessed myself.
"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." - Luke 6:37-38 (ESV)
How can I be sure I'm doing the right things? I can make sure as I live passionately - loving God and others intelligently and intentionally.
Notice what Paul says will be the end result of a life lived in this way. If I seek to live passionately, then as a result of this focus, I will . . .
2. Live purposefully - vs. 10-11
A. I will invest my time effectively - "discern what is best"
The enemy of the best is not always the bad. Often the enemy of the best is the good, but not necessary. The enemy of the best often takes the form of the "urgent." Too often, we let the "urgent" take precedence over the "important." How do I know what's really important? Loving God and those He's brought into my life is what's most important.
Therefore, if an investment of my time does not contribute to growing in my understanding of God or others so that I might love them better, then it is not what's best, no matter how "urgent" it might appear to be!
Anything that doesn't have to do with developing or displaying love for God or others is not worth my time!
B. I will invest my time eternally - vs. 10b-11
Conclusion: Some friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night, one hunter returned alone, dragging an eight-point buck. "Where's Harry?" he was asked. "Harry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail." "You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?" "Well," said the hunter, "I figured no one was going to steal Harry."
Sounds like a guy with his priorities a little "out of whack" don't you think? We laugh at this story because we know that it is a joke. What is not funny is the number of people whose life is being lived without any sense of purpose or priority. Their life ends up being a joke, and that's no laughing matter.
Don't let your life end up being a joke. Let it count for something, both now and for all eternity. Love God and love others, intelligently and intentionally, and your life will be one that is invested wisely.
