Worthy of the Gospel

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.” (Philippians 1:27-28a)

 In the verses before this, Paul talks about the conflict in his mind between his desire to be with Christ and his duty to serve fellow believers and spread the gospel on the earth. He says that there is no competition; going to be with Jesus is a beautiful and desirable thing, and yet, he knows that for the duration of his life, he is called to honour Christ with his body (Phil.1:20).

 Dying for Christ, though filled with hope and the guarantee of a beautiful and joyous welcome, is still a heavy and hard thing. If that is what you are called to, it is a hard calling indeed.

 But that does not make living for Christ a lesser or easier calling. Living for Christ, suffering for him, reflecting him, patiently walking through the mundane, knowing the best is yet to come, and knowing that we have to wait for that, can be very hard. But this is what we are called for. To let our “manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” To live at peace with other believers striving with them and not against them for the sake of the gospel. To be unafraid in the face of opposition.

 This is hard work, but it is not work done alone. Paul says that “to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). As long as we are living, we are living in him, through him, and for him. This is a work done with him and alongside other believers, and because of this, it can be a joyful work! Let us strive together for the sake of the gospel with joy even in the hard parts, looking forward to the greater joy to come!