Philippians 2:12-17 “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”
On a clear night, you can look up into the sky and see hundreds of stars. But, think about all the stars we know about but cannot see. There are thousands and thousands out there, yet we only see just a few with our eyes. Some of them shine brighter than all the rest in the sky, too. Why is it that we can see some stars and we can’t see others? Why is it that some stars shine brighter than the others? Now, I’m no expert astronomer, but I believe it has something to do with the amount of energy burning in the star.
This got me thinking. Philippians tells me that as a child of God, I should shine like the stars in the universe. Using the parallel, how does that happen? It’s only by having The Energy – Christ – constantly burning within me. Yes, once we’ve asked Him to come into our life and save us, He’s always there and promises to never leave (Hebrews 13:5) but it’s up to me to let Him burn brightly within me.
This passage is a good reminder to me to keep burning brightly for the Lord. I can't become complacent. I have to be always on my guard to be sure my actions and lifestyle are consistent with what the Bible teaches. If I am living my life the way God instructs me in these verses --exercising my salvation, living a life without complaining or arguing, blameless and pure, without fault-- my star, Jesus within me, will shine brightly in the universe. That's what being a Christian is about - shining for the Lord!
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com
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