2011: purpose.

This morning at church, I was rather confronted by a startling fact about myself. I'm a planner. I write to-do lists. I'm not religious about it, but when the need arises for a to-do list, I make one. Simple as that. So, the past couple of posts I've been sharing with you what some of those things on the 2011 to-do list are, things God has laid on my hearts to do. But this morning, we looked at Paul's letter to the Philippians.

In the 3rd chapter, Paul confronts this sect/cult called the "Judaizers." They were telling the people to, yes, believe in Christ and be saved. But on top of that, you must have good works (in accordance with the law of the old testament) to somehow "gain" salvation. This is still a prevalent belief. But Paul went on, telling these people that, according to the law, Paul was blameless. And yet all of those good works were nothing, they are a rubbish pile (literally, dung) in comparison with Christ, with knowing Christ, in gaining Christ--"and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" not on works. And that faith is not the end, but a means to the end, that is to "know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."

You see, so often I focus on knowing what God wants me to do, than focusing on who God is. So often I focus on knowing the will of God instead of the God of that will. Even as I've been looking into 2011, I've been focusing more on the vision He has given me than on looking into His eyes. But these verses make it clear that my ultimate purpose is summed up in 3 words: to know Him.

And it just gets better from there. After I know Him, then the to-do list can commence. But the beauty is that when I know Him, then I also know the power of His resurrection. The same power that conquered the grace, lives in me! And, in that power, in His power, I can walk in His footsteps, doing the impossible in His name.

And then it gets hard. But we've already known this fact. The to-do list is long. The days are short. Sleep is at the bottom of the daily list. Weariness is our greatest enemy. But in our weakness, God's strength is made perfect. So, to share in His sufferings is a gift. Because as we become weak, God becomes strong, and His purposes prevail. And these sufferings do not necessarily mean bodily harm. Just picture the garden Jesus was in on the night before His death. And His anguish and despair. And yet how He prayed for us. That is apart of His sufferings. To be broken over what breaks Him. To cry out for those who have no voice. To lift up those who cannot lift themselves. All with His power. All for His glory.

And in that, we become like Him in His death. When we learn of Him, learn of His power, and learn of His heart, we want to be like Him. We are crucified with Him, crucifying our passions and our flesh.

And in the end, we attain resurrection from the dead. We know it does not end with us being crucified with Him, for we know that if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation! Just as God called Lazarus from the grave, He calls us. And He takes our graveclothes off. Yes, we will die [physically] in the end, but though we die, we live! Forevermore united with Him.

It's a beautiful picture. I grabbed ahold of this verse in high school, but just now God is revealing the deeper meanings in my life now. And I again hold onto it as 2011 begins. This year, I no longer want to just do and do and do and check off my "to-do"s. I want to know Christ. And the power of His resurrection. And share with Him in sufferings. And becoming like Him in His death. So, the new creation He has made of me can live again, anew. To HIM alone be the glory.

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

{check out Philippians 3:4-14 for the scriptures quoted, specifically verses 10-14}