Philippians: Portrait of a Mature Christian
Part 6
14th June 2014
In the light of Paul's understanding that we should continue to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in [us] to will and to act according to his good purpose, Paul tells us:
Philippians 2v14-16
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
as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or
labour for nothing.
Wow. It's rare indeed to find anybody who never complains or argues.
But I know a mature Christian. Her name's Ruth. She's walked with God for 60 years. Her husband had a series of strokes, which eventually left him unable to walk, speak or feed himself. For a year, she visited him in hospital every day, which required her to take two buses each way. When he came home, she nursed him for two years. Six months after he died, she developed very painful ulcers on her legs. For six months, the NHS didn't treat her. They told her they were too busy. Three days after she came out of hospital, she fell and broke her hip. In all that time, I never heard her complain, I never heard her question God. I only heard her praise God for helping her to cope.
That's Christian maturity.
If you met Ruth, you'd agree with me that she [shines] like [a star] in the universe. It's a privilege to know her. She thinks of me as her pastor. It would be more true to say that she's mine. Everything about Ruth: her gentleness, mildness, patience, thoughtfulness and godliness, her ability to be at peace when anybody else would be stressed out, speaks about God. Her way of life proves God's goodness.
If you're a Christian, then you and I and Ruth all "hold out the word of life". We're the church - the only people who can communicate the Good News of the kingdom of God to those who don't yet know or understand it. When our lives and our hearts resemble Ruth's, then they'll stop acting to undermine the words in our mouths.