Body Builders
Philippians 1:21-26 (NAS): "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again."
I had to make a very difficult phone call this week. My grandmother is dying of cancer and as she nears the end of her journey, she is struggling with understanding how our earthly journey ends and our eternal one begins. After praying about what I should say and reading through some of my books on grief, I turned to the only thing I know as the solution: the Bible. One of the verses I read to her before praying with her over the phone was Philippians 1:21-26. I explained that Paul, while desiring to remain to be with the church he loved and was called to build up, also desired to be with Christ in eternity. For someone facing death, it is important to remember that this life is temporary and that we should be ready and even eager to "depart and be with Christ."
Conversely, for those of us who are called to remain on this earth for a while, we should also be eager to continue on building up the body of believers we have been called to live with. This means that at Village Seven, we have each been called to use the gifts God has given us and use them for the sake of others. We do this not to be puffed up with pride in a job well done, but so their confidence may abound "in Christ Jesus" as they continue in their "progress and joy in the faith." By understanding this double-sided coin, we see that being "body-builders" shapes us into people who are eager for eternity but also eager to prepare others for this eternity!
Being in a community at Village Seven has built me up in this way. Whether it is through corporate praise and worship, growing in knowledge and depth of insight, praying with others, or enjoying fellowship by breaking bread together or hiking the incline, God has strengthened my faith and joy. I want to encourage you to join a community if you have not found one; to be built up with others and do building yourself. If you have a community already, I pray you would think about those you know that are not plugged-in and are missing out on this body-building. Encourage them to join a community or pass on their information to a staff member. My prayer is that Village Seven and her communities continue to be a place where God is glorified and his people are built up daily.
I had to make a very difficult phone call this week. My grandmother is dying of cancer and as she nears the end of her journey, she is struggling with understanding how our earthly journey ends and our eternal one begins. After praying about what I should say and reading through some of my books on grief, I turned to the only thing I know as the solution: the Bible. One of the verses I read to her before praying with her over the phone was Philippians 1:21-26. I explained that Paul, while desiring to remain to be with the church he loved and was called to build up, also desired to be with Christ in eternity. For someone facing death, it is important to remember that this life is temporary and that we should be ready and even eager to "depart and be with Christ."
Conversely, for those of us who are called to remain on this earth for a while, we should also be eager to continue on building up the body of believers we have been called to live with. This means that at Village Seven, we have each been called to use the gifts God has given us and use them for the sake of others. We do this not to be puffed up with pride in a job well done, but so their confidence may abound "in Christ Jesus" as they continue in their "progress and joy in the faith." By understanding this double-sided coin, we see that being "body-builders" shapes us into people who are eager for eternity but also eager to prepare others for this eternity!
Being in a community at Village Seven has built me up in this way. Whether it is through corporate praise and worship, growing in knowledge and depth of insight, praying with others, or enjoying fellowship by breaking bread together or hiking the incline, God has strengthened my faith and joy. I want to encourage you to join a community if you have not found one; to be built up with others and do building yourself. If you have a community already, I pray you would think about those you know that are not plugged-in and are missing out on this body-building. Encourage them to join a community or pass on their information to a staff member. My prayer is that Village Seven and her communities continue to be a place where God is glorified and his people are built up daily.
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