{Philippians 1:9-11; NLT}
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
In my dresser drawers are shirts and sweatshirts that bear the logos of my favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, the Denver Broncos, and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Why do I wear these shirts? I wear them because I want the world to know the teams I follow, and to associate myself with them. This is especially true when they are winning.
We should never treat our relationship with God like following our favorite sports team. Yes, we are not to be ashamed of God, or His message of love and forgiveness, but that doesn't mean we can buy a cheesy Christian t-shirt (I have worn my share), and declare that we are Christians. Our relationship with God is seen in how we live more than it is seen in what we say.
This is why John wrote; “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6; NLT). The apostle John clearly states that if we claim to have a relationship with God, then it is to be seen in the way we live our lives. We are to live our lives the way Jesus lived his life.
Paul's prayer for the Philippians was that they would mature in their faith, becoming more like Jesus every day. For this to happen Paul prayed that their love would grow. Remember, love is the central command of Christianity. It is our love for God, and for each other, that marks us as Christians (John 13:35).
Paul prayed that the Philippians would grow in their knowledge and discernment. Each and every day we are faced with different circumstances and situations. While there are some that are similar, no two situations are exactly alike. That is why knowledge and discernment are so important. We need them to navigate the circumstances of life, so we can love like Jesus loved.
Paul describes a life of love and discernment as a blameless life. It is blameless, not because we no longer sin, but because we are growing to become more like Jesus. We are associated with God, not because of the name we wear, but because of the way we live.
It is through living a life of discerning love that we achieve our goal: honoring God. The way we live brings glory and honor to God.
Sometimes we think honoring God is about cheering Him on, like we do with our favorite team. So we go to worship and raise our hands and sing with tears in our eyes, and we take stands, letting the world know God's position on the subject.
Though we might be cheering real loud, the love and discernment that should characterize our lives is missing. We actually end up dishonoring God rather than honoring Him, because the way we live does not line up with God's character.
When we are a fan of a sports team it doesn't really matter how we live, because all we are doing is telling the world we are a fan of this team. When we claim to be Christians it matters a great deal how we live, because we are charged with showing the world the character of God. That is primarily done through the love we show people.
Being a Christian is more than just choosing a team to cheer for, it is choosing to follow Jesus. In other words we don't want to simply be a fan of Jesus, we want to be a follower of Jesus.
Questions to consider:
- In what ways have you been a fan, rather than a follower, of Jesus?
- Why are love and discernment so important? Are those things you pray for as you seek to mature in faith?
- How can honor God?
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