Devotional:
Philippians 1.27
Only, live your lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.
I’ve been writing weekly devotionals since shortly after entering the ministry. On Monday mornings I sit down with the lectionary texts for the week, I read through all of them, and then I usually pick one or two verses to write about. I try not to overthink the whole thing and instead I hope that God will speak through the words I use in such a way that they resonate with God’s Word.
Over the years a lot of the devotionals have ended with rhetorical questions; a lingering thought to stay with you, the reader, throughout the day/week. Examples: What would it look like to pray for one of your enemies this week? Or, When was the last time you prayed about the money you spend?
Most of the time I get the devotional done in a short amount of time and I send off the mass email and post it online for anyone and everyone to read, and rarely (I can count the number of times on two hands) do I ever receive a response. And frankly, that’s okay. The devotionals are not written so that I can get a response, instead they’re designed to bring forth a response from the reader in the way they (you) live out the rest of the day.
But this devotional is different. This time I actually want responses.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi about “living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” What does it mean to live in a manner worthy of the gospel? When I’ve preached about this text, or taught it in a Bible Study, I’ve whittled it down to: “Live your life as if Jesus is in the room with you.” Surely we would behave and speak and think differently if we knew and believed that Jesus was physically close in the room. But living in a manner worthy of the gospel has to be about so much more than that, it has to be more complicated and strange and wonderful and beautiful. So, I end with these non-rhetorical questions in the hope that you (dear readers) will respond:
What does it mean to live in a manner worthy of the gospel?
What behaviors or habits or practices would signify that someone is living in a manner worthy of the gospel?
How are you trying to live in a manner worthy of the gospel?
think and let think 
*What does it mean to live in a manner worthy of the gospel?* – Firm in the belief of the worthiness of the Gospel. Bring the influence of Heaven to Earth through the Community of Christians. Not intimidated by the faithless.
*What behaviors or habits or practices would signify that someone is living in a manner worthy of the gospel?* – Difficult to judge the heart of others. Good words do not make good souls. Surliness does not make lost souls.
*How are you trying to live in a manner worthy of the gospel?* – Attempt to model Christian behavior in interactions with and treatment of others.
On Mon, Sep 18, 2017 at 3:33 PM, think and let think wrote:
> taylormertins posted: “Devotional: Philippians 1.27 Only, live your live > in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see > you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm > in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind ” >
The questions sound so simple but are far to complex for me. I’ll do my best.
1. To live and be shaped by the good news. The shaping being primary to me, because we are children. We’re constantly learning what it means to be like and live like Christ. Just as we assess our own children’s behavior from moment to moment, good and bad. The hope being that more and more will the shaping take hold and allow for us to live life on that path. I hope any of that made sense.
2. I cannot judge anyone else, but for myself I see a shift towards the fruit of the spirits in where my actions and thoughts more natural arrive.
3. To be filled, and to then fill others.
hello Taylor oh, this is my late response to this food for thought. I actually do have Jesus on my mind and watching me, most of the time. I talked to God all the time about everything and most of the time I do feel he’s right here beside me. I hope this doesn’t sound prideful or anything. I have grown so much closer to God in the last 16 years. And I plan to grow even closer in a relationship.
Sent from my Virgin Mobile Phone.