Without Fear: Philippians 1

[27] Only let your manner of life be worthy(1) 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, [28] and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. [29] For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, [30] engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

As long as I have been reading and listening, I have heard the fear of the faithful. As western culture continues to bite the hand that fed it, setting fire to its own moral foundation, Christian bookstores and blogposts are filled with nervous queries of "how do we turn this around?" "What will we do?" I myself have lost sleep over this. I tussle my two-year old's tangled curls, read the news, and wonder what world she will have to face in twenty years.

So I'm going to read her this… and pray for strength and humility to live it out:

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…

We are called to live worthy of the gospel, standing firm in one spirit, working as one with the faithful, not frightened in anything.

The battle is won already… but for a time we are to bear our cross, not just wear it on a t-shirt. The team who is already one hundred points ahead on the scoreboard with seconds to spare doesn't fear losing the ball. The final outcome is decided. How will we play out our few moments on the world stage?

Only let your manner of life be worthy, […] standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything […]. This is a clear sign to them […]. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…

Without fear. With unity. A witness, a clear sign. Living as victors in eternity. The rest of Philippians instructs us how to live in unity, but for this morning my mind is being transformed about what it means to no longer fear.

As the body of Christ, we have a long way to go when it comes to working in unity and living without fear, and it starts in my heart and my home, focusing on an already victorious savior and glorying in an honor that has been granted for a time and for a purpose.

Lord, grant us eyes fixed upon your glory. Hold our faces in your hands, speak to us so that the waves around us and in us die down so that all we see is you. Your perfect love drives out fear. Help us to live in unity and without fear. In your precious name, amen.