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Colossians 3:1-2

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day events and demands of everyday life that we become used to focusing on this life only. Paul reminds us that if we have been baptized into Christ, then we should be aggressively seeking those things of Christ, His heavenly kingdom and the promises that He has made to us. As we do this the things of this earth began to wave in both comparison to the things of heaven and in the amount of control that they have over us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Colossians 2:6-7

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Personal Challenge

The Scriptures make it clear in so many different verses, that our salvation in Christ is not a single point in time event in our lives. We are not saved by saying some special prayer and then being done with it. Salvation is the process of Jesus working in our lives, our minds, hearts, and souls, day after day, moment after moment, until that blessed day that we leave this temporal body and join Him in His kingdom. This ongoing salvation process also requires that we are active contributors to it. Here we are admonished to walk in Christ, not just stand still, but to move forward in our relationship with Him. We are to be building up our lives in Him by prayer, reading of the Scriptures, participating in the liturgy and sacraments, and doing good works for Him. We must be actively building and establishing our faith in Him. The rest of our temporal life is to be walking in Him. Glory be to God!

Colossians 1:9-12

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Encouraging Words

In the Eastern Orthodox church, we the saints that have gone before us as being in the presence of our Lord and Savior. We put our hope in Christ that when we repose that too will be in His glorious presence. Part of this belief and hope is that these saints are praying and petitioning for us on an ongoing basis. This belief makes Pauls’ prayer for the Colossians so much more powerful. Just as he never ceased to pray for the Christians of his day, we can believe that Paul has continued his prayer vigil for the Christians ever since. We are not alone on our journey through life. We have each other in the church and those who have gone before us paying for us. Glory be to God!

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

Paul sends his letter to the people of Philippi with this admonition, that God will supply their every need. Then we might read this today and ask why we don’t have everything that we want and proclaim that God is reneging on this promise. In our modern, instant gratification, fast food culture, we have confused the concepts of “need” versus “want”. We often believe that if we want something, then we need it. God knows best what we need and He will supply for that need. We must accept that and be appreciative for His love and grace. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Personal Challenge

True personal contentment is not something that this temporal world can give us. It can only be given to us by our loving God. The results, or better yet, the manifestation, of this Godly contentment in our lives are evident in how we deal with the things and events of this world. Whether we are abounding and being celebrated and recognized in our regular, ongoing daily activities or being rejected, by those around us, are we content. If our bellies are full or empty, are we content? Are things going exactly the way that we want than to or are we suffering day-by-day, and are we content in either situation? True godly contentment, like true godly joy, is not based on circumstances. It is based on our Source of contentment, Jesus Christ, through Whom we can do all things because He strengthens us. Glory be to God!

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Encouraging Words

“And the God of peace will be with you.” So, in the previous verses, we found out how to live our lives in order to receive true peace that can only come from God. Now Paul tells us what to do to have the God of peace ever present in our lives. We are to meditate or occupy our minds with the following things: truth, nobility, just living, purity, loveliness, good report from good behaviors, virtue, and anything praiseworthy, Doing this prepares our hearts, minds, and souls for the God of peace to be with us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

One thing that so many people are looking for is peace. Sometimes it is finding a place of peace away from our job, or the activities of the world that are weighing us down, or maybe even from our families. However, this kind of peace is temporary and shallow. The peace of God is something that God, Himself, is trying to bestow upon us. How do we get to a place where we can receive this peace? Rejoicing in the Lord…always. Being gentle toward our fellow human being. Don’t be anxious about anything, and by praying all the time with a spirit of thanksgiving. If we are willing to do our part then God will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding and will guard our hearts and minds through His Son. Glory be to God!

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Personal Challenge

Anything worth having is worth struggling and fighting for. This is why we fix our focus on the prize of the resurrection that our living and loving God has promised us. With this prize in mind, we push forward through every obstacle, challenge, and difficulty that comes in our way. We know that we can hold on to our Christ because He has promised to hold on to us. The prize is worth it. Glory be to God!

Philippians 3:8-11

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Personal Challenge

We live in a day, and a location, where we are extremely blessed. Our blessings exceed virtually all of the generations that have gone before us and the majority of the world around us. It is the things that make up these worldly blessings that I must count as loss compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. If I am willing to set aside all of my earthly wealth and blessings for the sake of Christ and His heavenly kingdom and blessings then I can use them for His glory and edification. Through the faith the He has given me, I can serve Him unencumbered by the earthly blessings bestowed upon me. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!