"Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things" (Phil. 3:19)
My favorite passage in the Bible comes when Moses exhorts his people to choose life. They are some of his last words before he dies, his last words before they cross the river Jordan into Canaan. He tells them, "I call upon heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him..." (Deut. 30:19-20). I love this passage because it cuts right to heart of the matter. There are essentially two ways of being: the way of life and the way of death. Since the moment we step foot from the Garden of Eden, God has been inviting us, sometimes gently, other times harshly, to choose life.
In Philippians, Paul makes the same sort of argument. He tells the people: there are two ways, that of destruction and shame and that of the cross and transformation. He tells this community, they know who the enemies are. It's no secret what kinds of habits or thinking come between us and our Creator.
This is true of us as well. Our instinctual selves know how to walk in the Way of Christ. And even in the complications and demands of daily living, we know what things pull us away from God. Come on, Paul says, you know. The Bible is always inviting us to get honest with ourselves and reject these enemies. It's a big risk getting honest because it means for every single one of us, something will change. But Paul is clear about something else too: although you may suffer for it, stand firm, for Christ will transform you.
Reflection
- What do you need to be honest about in your relationship to God?
- What could God transform in your life right now?
Prayer
God of life, remind us again that the choices are few. Give us the strength to walk in the Way of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
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