6/13/2009
Philippians 3:19 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
New American Standard Bible
"Whose death uncovers a completely wasted life, whose god is their drive and desire for anything and everything they want without limits; whose glory is in their arrogance and in an adolescent carelessness toward right and wrong; and who focus their minds only on this life…" (Paul Turk Version)
I am revolted by the god of desire and glorying in shame – these are fairly obvious to me and disgusting because I have firsthand experience in both. The more insidious though is the subtle setting of my mind toward what is here and now; like employment and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness at the expense of my soul as if they were some kind of divine entitlement – they are not.
I must guard my mind and strengthen my heart against seeing only this life. I must guard myself from the temptation to live temporally. I must learn the discipline of Psalm 27.4: One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.
Yes, I know I must live a real everyday ordinary kind of life with all it entails, but the only way I can do that successfully from a Kingdom perspective and prevent the life displayed above is to live life from the practice of Psalm 27.4; everything I do or face needs to be lived out through those words.
Father in Heaven,
You have blessed me with the gift of everyday life and all it entails – family, work, and the works; but Your desire is to be my desire that, in the midst of everyday life, I find myself looking at all of life’s issues and activities from the vantage point of worshipping You and thinking about the things You think about – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.
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