February 25th - Reflection

Reading
Philippians 3:2-12 (NRSV)
Paul affirms the Abrahamic tradition

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh -- even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.


Reflection
If you get out of that selfish thinking that you are everything and you can do anything and that you deserve it all; things can really change. It's not about my accomplishments. It's not about how much I know or even how educated I am or can be. It's not about all the money or possessions in the world. It's about life.

Even if I had all the above, my life would pale in comparison to what Jesus offers in Life. Jesus offering of Life is real life. Life in and through, yet above and beyond this life. God is so much bigger than you or I, that we can't even begin to understand a single sand of his knowledge and majesty and glory.

So the offering Jesus extends is to leave this tiny tiny view of life that we have in our head and follow him to the glory of the Life that only Christ Jesus understands.

So why not leave? Why not? Sure, let's go now! Sure, I'll follow! Even and when it gets hard I'll follow. For Jesus is telling of us a life we can't fathom. Could the bulb in the ground understand what it would grow into in the spring? I can't understand this new life either, but I'm willing to trust and follow Jesus to whatever lengths he decides to take me.

Because I believe the Word of God. I hear what he says and I joyfully take the bread and wine and follow. Lead on dear Jesus. Lead on!

Prayer
Lord, I choose to follow you and obey your will and go your way. Lead on! --- Amen