I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his
sufferings, becoming like him in his death…- Philippians 3:10
We’ve started a new series of messages at realHope asking the question, what are we becoming? Recent events have forced me to deal with the question in my own life. And if you are anything like me, I think most of us deal with it at one level or another. There is that moment we have stepped on the scale or looked in the mirror and thought, what have I become! There are the honest seconds of truth when we say or do something and realize, we’ve just become our parents. I did that Sunday morning before going on stage to speak. It was a little thing, very small in fact, but the way I put my papers in Bible, as soon as I did, I knew I had just become my dad. I’ve watched him do it the exact same way hundreds of times and there I was becoming just like him. Sometimes, we say words or take actions that we regret too and we wonder after we’ve caused hurt in another’s life and even our own, what have I become? An honest question that everyone has to answer at one point or another.
Someone once said that businesses are either growing or dying. I suppose the same is true with the church, with even us personally. Our actions are never neutral. I think this is why Paul who wrote the letter of Philippians wrote the words he did in Philippians 3:10. There was not the option in his mind to go back or to just stay put. If he was to grow, he would then have to become like Christ in all things, even death. There is the problem for so many of though, isn’t it? We like to go back on things (maybe move away from things is better here) We prefer to stay neutral if given the choice. We do it with leadership, friendships, business deals, relationship, and even our church community.
Becoming what God intends us to be always requires moving towards Him. Never away. Never neutral. Over the next few weeks we are discussing this thought, what are we becoming? If you’re a local I hope you come check out the community at realHope and join the discussion with us. If you are farther way, you can listen online, even download our discussion guide that our relational groups are doing for deeper thoughts on the matter. Comment here, stop by our facebook page and comment in the discussion there. I’d love to hear your thoughts as we take this journey together.
