Day 7: Called to shine like bright stars
Bible: Read Philippians 2:12-18
‘Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to
the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you— and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.’
Read the passage through a couple of times. What words stand out to you from this passage? Why are they important for you today?
Reflection:
St Paul, writing to his beloved congregation at Philippi, has started this chapter of this letter with the beautiful hymn of Christ’s humility where he praises the self emptying of the Lord Jesus, who though he was God became as one of us to save us.He then exhorts the church to have this same mind and attitude. He asks them not to have an attitude of self-ambition or conceit but to demonstrate the same humility that Jesus showed.
In this part of the chapter he asks them to give up arguing and murmuring and be blameless and innocent children of God, shining like stars in the world. Our words and actions have an impact in the world. Our comments on social media, our gossip with a friend over the phone, our murmurings and grumblings have an effect.
We are called to shine like bright stars for Jesus Christ, so that the light given off by our words and deeds points people to Jesus. Do our words and deeds, our presence at the school gate and on our social media accounts, do these things cause us to shine like bright stars? Our vocation is to live for him, like a spotlight, to enable him to shine through our words and deeds.
Prayer:
Where do you spend your time? Where do you go? What do you do? Who do you mix with? Think about these questions for a few minutes. If it helps, draw a simple map of the places you go and the people you see in a typical week. Hold them to God in the silence, if you know any particular needs that they might have then pray for that too.
Paul