Thoughts from 1 Timothy

My time spent in Paul’s Letters continued with 1 Timothy. And there is so much good stuff in this letter! You can check out The Bible Project’s overview here.

 

1 Tim 1:3-5 “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work – which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

The church at Ephesus was really struggling under the influence of false teachers. When Paul originally wrote them around AD 60, they were thriving. He extolled their faith and encouraged unity in the church. Now, roughly 4 years later, they were being led astray, and Paul had sent Timothy to guide them back to the right path.

Here, Paul emphasizes the importance of not letting anything distract from the Gospel. Some teachers in Ephesus were apparently spinning grand concepts involving genealogies in the Old Testament, and they were getting everyone caught up in the minutiae of things that just didn’t matter.

Today, people can get majorly caught up in details about the end times or even apologetics. I think learning to defend the Truth is a good thing – we are called to be ready to give an answer – but any time we start sliding into speculation, we need to be careful. The message of the Gospel is of utmost importance, and we don’t want to ever get too caught up in details and needless speculation that we lose sight of that or miss chances to share it.

1 Tim 2:1-4 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, Who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

My study note points out that this is particularly remarkable because Nero was emperor of Rome at this time. Prayer is something that my relationship with has ebbed and flowed over time. I really like the idea of an attitude of prayer, the “praying continually” concept. I’m just not great at it, to be honest. I’ve incorporated it more as I’ve gotten older, but it’s definitely a process. I have my set prayers – mealtimes and bedtime with my daughter – that I try to take seriously and not let become too formulaic and empty. Outside of that, I do send quick prayers, but they tend to be exclusively cries for help. Which is good, of course, but I want to get better at prayers of gratitude and prayers over people as I see them.

I tend to really struggle with long prayers, though. Praying through prayer requests, praying for family, friends, leaders, and the world. I have partly a focus problem and partly a time issue. I don’t always have the time – my daughter does wake up eventually – but more often I struggle to give the time.

Prayers are something I really appreciate at my church. They are very public and very serious. I like that we make that an important part of corporate worship. I remember when I was younger and my grandparents would stay with us. My grandpa always had a long, intense prayer session on his knees at the side of the bed. I was kind of intimidated at the time, but now I’m amazed and inspired.

1 Tim 2:5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”

My study note: “We can stand on one side of a gorge and discuss the possibility of many bridges across the abyss, but if we are determined to cross, we will have to commit to one bridge.”

1 Tim 4:12-14 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.”

Not all gifts are given as dramatically as Timothy’s apparently was, but we all have gifts. And we are all, I believe, instructed to use them. God doesn’t give us gifts to watch us squander them. He has a purpose and a plan, and He wants us to seek it out. The closer I get to 30, the less I think people will “look down” on my youth. But there are still so many time I feel inadequate. Yet I don’t want that to hold me back from using my gifts.

1 Tim 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

This verse follows Paul telling Timothy to stay away from those who only want to argue and are looking to get rich. Godliness with contentment is the great secret. Contentment comes when we recognize that we have everything we need in Christ.

1 Tim 6:11-12 “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

I love the phrase “take hold of the eternal life.” It’s an active thing. Eternal life isn’t way off in the future; it’s now.

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So those are my thoughts from my reading of 1 Timothy. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

A Katie Parker Production by Jenny B. Jones

I don’t tend to read a lot of e-books. I’m kind of a paper book snob, so digital books are never my first choice. But every now and then I get a new e-book, and they’re great for travel, especially. When I recently went to visit family, I decided it was a good time to finish a series I’ve read slowly over the last few years, A Katie Parker Production by Jenny B. Jones.

The first book, In Between, introduces Katie Parker, the sixteen-year-old daughter of a drug addict who has been shuffled around the foster system and has put up major defensive walls in the process. She gets placed in the home of James and Millie Scott, a pastor and his wife in the small town of In Between, Texas. But she is interested in none of it – not their love, not their small town charm, and certainly not their God.

But the further Katie runs from all that the Scotts offer her, the more trouble she finds herself in. Until finally, she has to make a choice about what she wants her life to look like.

The strength of this six-book series is in its heart and its characters. Katie is an intriguing main character. Her history and its resulting trauma make her a very different person from me, but I never felt disconnected from her, at least in the first few books. James and Millie, her foster parents, are lovely people who live out their faith in actions. They put off warmth and stability in every interaction, something Katie is not accustomed to.

And then there’s Maxine. Millie’s mother, she’s popularly known as Mad Maxine and takes her job as Katie’s foster grandmother very seriously. If seriously means pulling Katie into every hair-brained scheme she comes up with. And there are many schemes, usually involving semi-well intentioned trespassing and a tandem bicycle called Ginger Rogers.

I really enjoyed the first three books in this series. The last three, though, feel very different. Book 4, Something to Believe In, is very odd in that it was actually published 6 years after Book 5, Can’t Let You Go. And then Book 6, Forever Your Girl, was published after that. When read in order, #4 feels much the same as the previous books, and it’s an enjoyable read. But apparently it was written as a correction, because a lot of readers didn’t like the multi-year gap between Book 3 and what then became Book 5. There are just a lot of inconsistencies created that make the last two books frustrating. And their tone is just very different from the earlier books. They feel older, which makes sense as Katie is now in her mid-twenties, and they feel a lot more intense. It was just a lot of tonal whiplash that was hard for me to roll with easily. I enjoyed the ending of the last book, but the journey to get there was challenging.

Overall, I think there are a lot of good things about this series. I enjoyed most of it, and the lessons it holds dig deep. The inconsistencies just gave me more of a sour taste.

December’s Reads: Historical Fiction

We’ve made it to the end of 2022! And I’ve made it through 12 genres of books this year. If my stats on StoryGraph are correct, I read 58 books in 2022, which is so much more than I read last year. So this reading challenge did its job!

December’s genre was Historical Fiction, which is a favorite of mine. Like most months, I ended up reading a couple non-genre books, too; they came in unexpectedly at the library.

I started off with If I Were You by Lynn Austin.

(From Lynn’s Website)

1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve’s secrets―and the complicated history of their friendship―to the surface.

1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve’s mother served as a lady’s maid for Audrey’s mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat―Nazi invasion―reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey’s brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.

This sweeping story transports readers to one of the most challenging eras of history to explore the deep, abiding power of faith and friendship to overcome more than we ever thought possible.

I typically enjoy split-time stories like this. Initially, I struggled a bit with the way these two timelines were interwoven; it felt odd. But eventually it started to flow better, and then I got invested. There’s a lot of sadness in this story, but I think it’s really about how we navigate trying times and grief. It was a little slow, but I did enjoy it.

I also read The Wish Book Christmas, which is a novella sequel to If I Were You. I really enjoyed this story about discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

I finally got a chance to finish Roseanna M. White’s Codebreakers series with A Portrait of Loyalty. I talked about the previous two books in my October post about Historical Romance.

(From Roseanna’ website)

Zivon Marin was one of Russia’s top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera–and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father’s connections in propaganda, she’s recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they’re unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question–and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he’d feared. 

I love every Roseanna White book I’ve read, truly. She has such a descriptive way of connecting events and characters that sucks me in and doesn’t let go. This story, at first glance, felt a little more disconnected from the first two. It shouldn’t, because it spins out of Britain’s Room 40 just like the others do. I think it’s because the two main characters don’t have the same connections to White’s other characters. But setting that aside, the story was super interesting and the characters captivating as always. I found the premise fascinating and the resolution deeper than I would have expected. Which is silly, because her books always make me think.

My two library books that came in were Judge and King by R.J. Larson.

(From Christianbook.com)

The last thing Kien Lantec expects on his first day of military leave is to receive marching orders from his Creator, the Infinite. Orders that don't involve destroyer-racing or courting the love of his life, Ela. Adding to Kien's frustration, his Infinite-ordained duties have little to do with his skills as a military judge-in-training. His mission? To warn the people of ToronSea against turning their backs to the Infinite to worship a new goddess. But why Kien? Isn't this the role of a true prophet, such as Ela of Parne?

Continuing where Prophet left off (click here to read my review of that book), Larson takes readers deeper into her Old Testament-inspired setting. You can see a lot of influence from biblical stories in both Judge and its sequel, King, especially stories like those of Jonah and David. I really enjoyed both stories and highly recommend the series!

After this I read another Lynn Austin book (What can I say? I tend to get on kicks of one author at a time), Long Way Home.

(From Lynn’s website)

Peggy Serrano couldn’t wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy’s war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy’s belongings.

Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela’s perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.

With this book, Lynn Austin explores the aftermath of war, the trauma of those who survive it, and the choices made along the way. It’s a very unique book for the time period it’s set in; I don’t know if I’ve ever seen another book that focuses so specifically on post-WWII trauma faced by soldiers. For all that focus, though, the story isn’t told from the soldier’s perspective. Instead, it’s shown through the eyes of those who love him. It’s a fairly slow-paced story, but the characters and their impact are deep. It’s a really beautiful story about struggle, faith, and love.

I finished my reading off over Christmas with Where Treetops Glisten: Three Stories of Heartwarming Courage and Christmas Romance During World War II. This is a novella compilation by Cara Putman, Tricia Goyer, and Sarah Sundin.

It follows the three siblings of the Turner family through three successive Christmases during World War II.

(From Sundin’s website)

White Christmas by Cara C. Putman
A candy maker and a puzzle manufacturer have one thing in common: love is the last thing they’re looking for and the very thing they need.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Sarah Sundin
A fighter pilot running on empty, a lonely widow, and a little girl searching for what she’s lost—will an unusual Christmas gift fill their hearts again?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Tricia Goyer
As Christmas nears a combat nurse offers care and cheer to injured soldiers on the front line, but when her patients and the Dutch villagers discover it’s her birthday they work together to give her a great gift—a reason to believe in love again.

I really liked the way each story was wrapped around a different Christmas song. They’re novellas, so they’re pretty quickly resolved, but I enjoyed them.

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So that’s it, then. All my reading for 2022. Going into next year, I’m planning to finish the three books I’m still in the middle of – Lord of the Rings (WHY I haven’t finished this, I do not know), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Inkspell. Then I’ll move into another reading plan. I’m planning to do the Pick Your Poison Challenge by Gregory Road. I was originally planning to do the one from 2022, but I’m looking at the one for 2023 right now, and I’ll have to decide which one I like better.

Do you have any reading plans for 2023? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

 

Thoughts from 1 and 2 Thessalonians

Though I finished actually reading through Paul’s letters quite a while ago, I always find it such an encouragement looking back through my notes and typing them up for these posts. This week, I’m covering 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The Bible Project’s overview videos, as always, offer really helpful context: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians.

 

1 Thess 1:2-3 “We always thank God for you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What an encouragement Timothy’s report must have been to Paul, letting him know that the young church he planted and suffered with was flourishing! Our lives should be an encouragement to our church leaders. They don’t live in a vacuum. They need encouragement.

Also, the Thessalonians are a wonderful example to us. Their faith produced good works, their love produced hard work, and their hope helped them endure. That’s what I want my life to be.

1 Thess 3:12-13 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.”

This is a beautiful prayer, one I want to memorize. God’s love for us is boundless. Nothing can separate us from His love, and there is no way to measure the height and depth and breadth of His love. It doesn’t depend on circumstances or our behavior; God always loves us. And that is the love He desires to fill our hearts with, to overflow onto everyone we come in contact with.

1 Thess 4:10b-12 “Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so [love each other] more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

At first glance, this passage seems to contradict some Christian principles. “Lead a quiet life” – but aren’t we supposed to engage the culture? Of course we are! But we can be people who have peaceful lives, quiet lives, and still have an impact. If anything, when our lives exude peace, they will look different in a helter-skelter world and actually draw people to us. The important thing is not to completely separate ourselves from the world so that we have no circles of impact. We are still called to be in the world, making contact with the world; we just shouldn’t be of the world. If anything, this is further backup to the principle of leading a quiet life; most of the world does not.

Further, Paul says, “so that you will not be dependent on anyone.” Yet doesn’t the Bible teach that we are to live in community and that we need each other? It does, and I don’t believe this passage negates that. It is addressing the issue of laziness and saying that there is no place for it in the people of God. We should be hard workers, doing our own work to the best of our abilities and looking for ways to help others. It is also talking about the Thessalonians’ tendency toward being busybodies. The Enduring Word Commentary says, “There is a great difference between the Christian duty of putting the interests of others first and the busybody’s compulsive itch to put other people right.”

But we are not called to be workaholics. The concept of rest is very important in the Bible, and this passage addresses that in the admonition to lead quiet lives. We should be rooted and rested in Christ so that we can work hard and love others.

1 Thess 5:5-8 “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. but since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

2 Thess 2:16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Paul always includes prayer in his letters. And they are often beautiful blessings as well. Paul knew firsthand what terrible persecution the Thessalonians were experiencing. They were suffering and they were scared. He encouraged them that their faith was not in vain, that they had an eternal hope that wouldn’t desert them. In light of that, he encouraged them to keep going, to stand firm, and to live like Jesus. And that same encouragement is offered to us today.

2 Thess 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Another beautiful blessing.

2 Thess 3:11-13 “We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”

The Bible clearly teaches the importance of rest, like I talked about earlier with 1 Thessalonians. But Paul clearly doesn’t have much tolerance for idleness. This doesn’t mean every moment of our day must be filled with something to do. But it does mean that we should have an attitude of responsibility that rises to the task at hand and jumps in to help.

And, clearly, the Thessalonian church was still dealing with the issue of lazy busybodies, since Paul had to address it again in this second letter.

The Thessalonian church, like many of the early churches, was surrounded by persecution. And Paul continually encouraged them in the midst of their suffering. His words today offer hope and encouragement to us, too, no matter what our circumstances. What has God been showing you in His Word lately? I’d love to hear about in the comments!

November's Reads: Nonfiction

So, November was supposed to be all nonfiction. Which was great. I had 3 books on my list, and I was excited about all of them. Unfortunately, I kind of sabotaged myself by putting other books on hold at the library right at the end of October. So, that happened…

I started out the month reading The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Humphrey Carpenter. If you have any interest in Tolkien, I highly recommend this collection. Tolkien was a prolific letter writer, and this collection omits a lot for the sake of brevity. It’s still a hefty book, though. I found that it took me a little while to get used to his style of writing and the places and people he mentioned frequently. There are copious notes in the back for each letter, but it was kind of a pain for me to flip back and forth, so I mostly ignored them unless I was really confused or wanted more clarification. It’s not a book that’s I could read a little bit every now and then. I found it much easier to follow when I read it consistently, because I could get into that flow more easily.

That’s true of a lot of nonfiction, though. Because of the distractions that I will get into in a moment, I am only about halfway through this, but I’m enjoying it and find it a fascinating look into Tolkien’s mind. I think I’ll share some of my favorite discoveries and excerpts once I finish it. You can also find a selection of his letters on the website for the Tolkien Estate.

I’m also partway through State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide by Benjamin F. Shearer. This proves my nerdy tendencies. I had been looking into state symbols and facts for a different project, and it made me curious about the history of different state symbols. Unfortunately, this book for some reason has not held my attention very well. On the surface, it seems to be what I wanted. I think the layout is what’s hampering me the most. For example, when learning about state flags, I’d like the picture of the flag to be right there. Instead, all the illustrations are in the center of the book. A lot of books do this; I’m sure it’s a cost-thing. It just made it hard for me to follow along and visualize, so I’m not enjoying this as much as I had hoped I would.

Now to the books I actually finished this month. None of them were nonfiction. The Katie Weldon books I’ve been waiting on for a long time finally came in at the library, so I got distracted…

I mentioned the first book in this series, Peculiar Treasures, in my Young Adult post from August. This month I finally got a chance to finish the series with On a Whim, Coming Attractions, and Finally and Forever. If you’ve been keeping up with my posts, then you know I’ve kind of rediscovered Robin Jones Gunn this year. I’ve gotten to dive back into some nostalgia with her Christy Miller series but also move into the present with her. And this latest series kind of straddled the line, giving me college Katie moving into independent and in love Katie, and that was really fun.

I’m very excited going into December’s genre, which is Historical Fiction. I’m already into my first book. I may also try to slip in a reread of The Hobbit, just because it feels Christmasy to me for some reason (and, of course, I’m in the midst of a bunch of Tolkien information at the moment), but we’ll see. What have you been reading lately? I’d love to hear about in the comments!

Learning to Embrace the Hard Things

 Over the last year, I’ve developed a habit of starting my day by writing down something I’m grateful for from the previous day. There are days that I’m not able to get to it (toddlers are, unfortunately, not the most predictable at all times), but I have tried really hard to put myself in that mindset each morning.

I really struggle to see the good sometimes, so I need the reminder that, even when everything about the day felt awful, there was something good about it.

And, by the grace of God, I’ve always been able to find something.

Anyway, with yesterday being Thanksgiving, I decided to make a longer list. I didn’t get through everything, by any means (again, toddler). But I realized something as I came to the end of it.

I want to be grateful for the hard things in my life.

I have really struggled recently through the many daily challenges of raising a small human. It’s been frustrating and exhausting. And I’m not proud of my reactions to everything.

But I also feel like God is teaching me something. Hard times are where sanctification happens; they are where we grow, if we let it happen.

I’ve been reading a book in my moms’ group called M is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood by Abbie Halberstadt. And I truly believe God is using it to change my life. I’ll probably talk about it more fully once I finish it, but for now I just wanted to highlight what she says about this topic. She has a lot of good nuggets about embracing hard things.

“He will absolutely give you more than you can handle – of both joy and pain. He might pile on the trouble so heavily you feel you will suffocate beneath its weight (I’ve been there). Conversely, he might slather you so thickly with joys and yesses that you’re fairly dripping with a goodness you know you don’t deserve and could never repay (been there too). Both are blessings. Both are ways that reveal his callings to us. Both require us to shuffle forward with tiny steps of faith and outstretched palms of gratitude.” (p. 54)

“Moment by moment, day by day, ‘precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little' (Isaiah 28:10 ESV), we catch glimpses of the ways in which the Lord is molding us into his likeness. There is no shortcut, and there is no generic formula. We must choose to trust in his goodness and be willing to let him tear away at our rough shell until our true skin is revealed, vulnerable and pliable – and bearing the marks of his grace.” (p. 55)

“But I have learned that doing hard things, tedious things, needful things, is, in itself, a reward at times.” (p. 72)

“The Lord taught me through episodes of tears and frustration, and sometimes outright clench-fisted fit throwing, that the first thing I needed to train in myself was my reliance on him.” (p. 100)

I think we get it in our heads sometimes that life as a Christian will be easy. And Jesus does say, in Matthew 11:28-30,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

But he also says, in Luke 9:23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” And in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.”

I don’t think we’re ever promised an easy life as Christians. And definitely not as mothers. I don’t think I went into parenthood expecting it to be easy. But I definitely thought I would be a lot better at the things that it turns out I struggle with.

That struggle of “I want” versus “God wills” is the key to human experience, honestly. And I find it to be such an important key to this season in my life. Struggles are part of this time. Hard things are just par for the course. Toddlers are hard. But am I going to keep railing against what’s hard, or am I going to submit my will to God’s and let Him teach me something?

The latter is what I want. So I’m choosing to be grateful for the hard things:

For the opportunity to learn patience when my daughter says and does the same thing over and over and over.

For the opportunity to trust God when it feels like she will never behave.

For the opportunity to learn joy in the midst of frustration and to choose gentleness instead of anger.

I can’t say that I feel grateful in the moment. I’m not even to the point of looking at the day and being grateful for the hard parts. For now, I’m choosing to be grateful because I know God is faithful. I know this is a season of growth. And I know I will look back and be grateful. So, even when I don’t feel thankful, I’m going to act myself into a new way of feeling.

And I will just have to keep trusting God to make it true.

Have you tried to be thankful for the hard things? I’d love to discuss it in the comments!

Thoughts from Philippians and Colossians

Continuing with my journey through Paul's letters, here are some thoughts from Philippians and Colossians. For more context, watch the Bible Project's overview videos here and here. 

Phil 1:9-11 "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ..."

As Christians, we are supposed to be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents. Thus, our love should not be empty-headed. Instead, as we love God, we should grow in discernment and knowledge of Him, which enables us to love others more fully. I really love this picture of how love should look, too. Especially in close relationships like spouses and families, we should desire for our love to abound in knowledge and insight.

Phil 1:27 "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."

Paul was saying specifically that whether he lived or died should not change the Philippians' behavior. Our conduct should not be based on circumstances but rather on Christ.

Phil 2:3-4 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others."

Christ does not call us to look out only for ourselves. Instead, He gives us an incredibly countercultural message to let go of ourselves, to lay down our rights, to seek unity with God's people, and to love everyone. This feels easy sometimes, but most times it's very hard. We have to lay down our own pride, our desires, our me-first attitudes. But, if we will submit it all to Jesus, He will give us His heart for others. We just have to be willing. 

Phil 2:14-15 "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life."

Stand firm. Love God, love people. Seek unity. Don't complain or argue. Over and over again, Paul emphasizes these concepts. This is the church I long to be a part of. More importantly, this is the person I long to be. I want to walk in His ways. I want to seek unity, to love others above myself, and to live in joy.

Phil 3:7-8 "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage..."

Phil 3:13b-14 "...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Neither past accomplishments nor past failures should have a hold on us. Without Jesus, nothing we do is worth much; in Him, our sins are forgiven. Thus, we can press forward in God's strength.

Phil 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!"

Such a simple directive, and yet we lose sight of it so easily. I lose sight of it so very easily. We depend on circumstances to be happy, yet true joy comes from knowing Jesus. So I can rejoice always, because He is always with me.

Phil 4:12-13 "...I have learned the secret of living content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him Who gives me strength."

I have not yet learned this secret. It is the contentment I desire. I have been very blessed with my husband's job. We have plenty, and I don't feel a strong pull to need more. But I do worry sometimes about having less. It scares me sometimes. Yet I know that God has always provided, in every stage and season of my life. Our God takes care of His people. I have seen it, and I can trust in that.

Col 1:3-5 "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people - the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven..."

Paul had never met the Colossian church, but he was encouraged by their faith. I want my faith to be evident and an encouragement to others. The Colossians, too, grasped what the Gospel meant, that they now had an eternal hope in heaven. And that hope created in them faith and love.

Col 2:6-10 "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority."

This makes me think of that old song, "Just like a tree planted by the water, I shall not be moved." I want to be like that tree, deeply rooted in Jesus and His Word, growing in Him and strengthened by Him.

And if we are rooted in Christ, then we don't have to get caught up in man-made philosophies and regulations. We have true freedom in Christ. I want to embrace that in action, not just in mind. My study note says, "Take some risks - God will guide you. Give more generously - God will supply. Love more freely - God will energize you. Say 'can do' more often - God will amaze you."

 Col 3:12-14 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Col 4:5-6 "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

This is such an important reminder. In general, we should not be brash and combative with either fellow believers or nonbelievers. We certainly should never be unkind or use filthy language. Our conversations should be full of grace and seasoned with salt. What potent imagery that is! Because, on the flip side, we don't want to be mice, tiptoeing around every opportunity to say anything of substance. We don't want our words to be so bland that they have no impact, but we also shouldn't be so salty that people spit us out.

I found each of these books to be dense with great insights and practical application, though each is fairly short. I look forward to reading them again with a new perspective. What have you been studying lately? I'd love to hear about in the comments!