Coach’s Corner

Let’s continue our reading today of chapter 2

VS 1-4, GOT ANYTHING? GIVE IT AWAY - This is a challenging section for most of us. Paul asks a very basic question here..”Is there any value for you in being a Christian? Do you receive anything from Christ?” How can you answer that any other way but yes? It’s basically a rhetorical question. Paul knows the answer. He just wants them and us to answer it. THEN… he says… GIVE IT AWAY! Whatever we receive from Christ is meant to be distributed to others. We are selfish people in our nature. I’m no different in that regard. So Paul tells us that the motivation for being generous is the realization that what we have is coming from Christ, so spread it around and think of others. Then he has the audacity to tell us to actually be interested in what other people are doing. Often, we are only interested in what someone else is doing if we can then turn that around to benefit ourselves. But Paul is telling us to be genuinely interested in what others are doing. What do you think that’s all about?

VS 5-11, THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST - It never ceases to blow my mind when I think that Jesus Christ is God, and that he came and went through what he went through willingly. I can’t comprehend that depth of love and humility. But Paul tells us to strive for that example for humility in service. Our thoughts, attitudes and actions are to become more and more like those exhibited by Jesus Christ during his earthly life. His willingness to humble himself is a great example for us. As we reflect honestly on our lives, we can at least be humble enough to admit our faults. Then we can begin to change our sinful habits. If we can follow Jesus Christ in humility, learning to admit our failures without hesitation, we can look forward to spiritual growth.

VS 12, OBEDIENCE - Everyone’s favorite subject. Paul reminds us here that obedience to God’s plan is one of the requirements of spiritual growth.

VS 13, WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY? - If there has ever been any doubt in your mind or mine about our own ability to follow Jesus Christ, this one makes it perfectly clear… everything that moves us toward God is of God himself. We don’t have the power, the energy, the ability, the “little good in everyone” in us to follow him. It is only through what God provides for us that we are even able to follow him. I think this is the reason so many Christ-followers struggle. Most of us still try to do it in our own strength. It doesn’t work.

VS 14, QUIT YER WHININ’ - Don’t most of us just love to complain? It’s almost like a badge of honor or something. The more you complain, the harder your life has been. So give you the gold star, right? Paul has some very thoughtful words about that….CUT IT OUT!

VS 15, MR CLEAN - None of us want to be sore thumbs and look like weirdos. But Paul tells us to do just that. A “clean, innocent” life in our culture today seems so out of style and behind the times. It’s just not cool. But Paul was less concerned about “cool” and more concerned about honoring the one who sacrificed his all for us. And the point would be that in living a clean and innocent life, our light would shine brightly as a beacon of hope to those living in a cesspool of darkness.

VS 19-30, TIMOTHY & EPAPHRODITUS - This a a remarkable passage where Paul heaps praise on two different men. How awesome would it be to know that if someone wrote a letter about you to someone else they would use terms like the ones Paul uses here? That’s the kind of life Paul is calling us to lead… one of character, honor, humility and service. It will not always lead to accolades or having your name publicized, but it will please the Father in heaven who doesn’t miss anything. When no one else sees what we do, he does. When no one else is willing to give praise, he will. There may be times here in this life when our name will be lifted up by someone else, and that is a high honor indeed. And in fact it cannot be lifted unless we have walked in a way worthy to have it be lifted. But whether that ever happens or not, the only judge who will matter is taking notice and will reward us in the end.

YOUR TURN…