What is to Come is Real (Part 1)
Scripture — Philippians 1:3-6
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
Focus
Paul was keenly aware of his circumstances as well as the circumstances in Philippi. But he was also aware of another foreign country where it’s always light and where weeping and cursing will be gone. That place informed how he looked at his current circumstances in at least two ways.
Devotion
There must be some sort of other-worldly essence in a person who can face the uncertainty of prison, dire circumstances, and probable death and still say “I thank…with joy…(I am) confident…” It was not Paul’s apostleship or some super-righteousness he had; rather it is the presence of the Spirit that ushers in gospel clarity—a certainty of what is to come in a way that it begins to form what we see now.
Paul was keenly aware of his circumstances as well as the circumstances in Philippi. But he was also aware of another foreign country where it’s always light and where weeping and cursing will be gone. That place informed how he looked at his current circumstances in at least two ways.
First, because what is to come is real, Paul could see his life in relationship to God in the form of continual communication. Because God will dwell in the new Jerusalem, Paul believed that either the prayer closet or the prayer prison were sufficient spaces to talk to God.
Second, because what is to come is real, Paul could see his relationship to others in the context of real purpose. While it may look different, the new heaven and new earth will not be devoid of human purpose. Humanity is converging on a beautiful interdependence sustained by the presence of Jesus. Paul knew that proximity is not the governing factor of partnership; rather it is the Gospel. The Gospel reminds us of a shared identity of conversion, where we work together from the first day, but also a shared identity of what is to come on the day of Christ Jesus.
The relevance of the Philippian letter is found when the place Paul wrote is seen through what he knew is true. Whether Paul was in prison, working retail at CVS, a CNA, or a CEO, his message would be the same because what is to come is real. Where we are going can inform the way we look at today.
Reflect
Think about Paul’s circumstances and what he is trying to accomplish. What is similar and different about the content of Paul’s words compared to the positive inspirational language we read and hear in today’s culture?
Act
Do you see the people you labor with in your workplace as “he who began this good work among you” type of people? Take some time and write down the names of people you engage with. What does their work and your work mean for “on the day of Christ Jesus?” How could your work be an encouragement to those who know the Lord and a gateway to introducing Immanuel to those who do not know him?
Pray
Thank you, God, for forgiveness and reconciliation to you and to others. May our confidence in you and certainty of the things you promise enable us to press forward. Thank you for all the good that is to come and how it is making good out of what we endure now. Amen.
Banner image by Tomasz Frankowski on Unsplash.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project’s online commentary. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The One Who Began a Good Work Among You Will Bring it to Completion (Philippians 1:1–26).
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DeLano Sheffield
Author & Business Resource Specialist
DeLano J. Sheffield is a senior pastor and employer engagement manager for Great Jobs KC (formerly KC Scholars) where he fosters connections between people on the fringes and employers in the Kansas City Metro. He advocates for the hiring of people who would not normally have opportunities. De...