TUESDAY July 2nd
Philippians 1:9-11
‘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.’
The ‘agape’ love that we considered previously, must abound more and more with knowledge and discernment, that is an understanding of how to love as we should love, and I think also to know or to discern God’s will for our lives which leads to the second point ‘so that you may approve what is excellent’.
There is that expression of love as we have seen toward one another, but our love is also expressed towards the things that we care about, what is it that we love most in our lives, for that is what will take up our time or what we will give our lives over to and ultimately, we should love God and his will and purpose above anything else.
Remember the rich young ruler who came to Jesus, when he discovered the cost of what it would mean for him to follow Jesus, he went away sad! His wealth meant more to him than entry into the kingdom of God. He had the opportunity to approve what was excellent, but he rejected it.
I wonder how much of our time is spent trying to approve so many other things, it may be wealth like the ruler, it may be personal ambition and gain, it can be several of many other things, rather than approving those things that truly are excellent, those things that lead to the praise and the glory of God.
I mentioned a hymn last week (If I but knew thee as thou art) and one of the other verses in it says this:
But, I am dull and blind , O Lord,
Unapt of thee to learn;
Thee I but dimly in thy word,
As in a glass, discern.
Perhaps too often we have allowed ourselves to have been dulled toward those things which are excellent, we pursue anything and everything but that which will count for eternity. I know for myself my prayer must be the final verse in the same hymn:
But, ah, my lonely spirit tires
Of knowing thee in part.
O Jesus, how my soul desires
To see thee as thou art.
Regarding our approving that which is excellent, I quote the words of Paul from Romans 12:1-2 ‘I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’