"Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky" ~Philippians 2:15b
Do you ever wish people would notice you? Maybe you clean the house, volunteer, or feel like you have unrecognized talent. When your efforts go unnoticed, do you feel frustrated? Of course, you do. It's natural to feel that way. But Paul says, in Philippians, that we will shine like stars in the sky. How and why will this happen? Some people prefer to go "unseen." After all, Jesus says in Matthew 6:3, "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
It appears we're stuck in a quandary of whether or not we should be noticed or go unnoticed. Paul explains it all for us. "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." In this messed-up world, the children of God are called to act differently. Well, that's already going to set us apart in an unpopular way. But Paul says we're going to shine like stars which many consider to be beautiful. While we may not look like shining stars to our fellow man, we must remember God doesn't see the same way people do, "man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). Our appearance to him is like a shining star when we "become blameless and pure" by not "grumbling or arguing." Furthermore, the shine is not our own but the gleam of God radiating off of us!
So we can see Paul's and Jesus's words aren't at odds with each other. We still act humbly as Jesus commands while acting rightly as Paul instructs. Our humility and deference to the Lord's will and not our own will cause us to shine whether people like it or not. Remember, you'll never shine if you're doing it for the accolades. When you live for the Lord by allowing the Holy Spirit to transform your words and actions, that is when you express the beauty of the Christian life.
Always improve the present moment.
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