What Pop Taught Me...

Scripture

12Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:12-13

Observation

Paul is speaking as a spiritual father to his spiritual children in the church in Philippi. Like any Dad knows “while the cats away the mice will play.” He commended them for their hard work for the Gospel while he was there, but now that he was in prison for his faith he wasn’t able to personally oversee the work. So, as any good Dad would do, he reminded them “God is Watching, God Is Working, Keep Working With Him.” The Greek wording here could be read this way, "For it is God Himself, constantly and powerfully at work within you, energizing both your desires and your actions, in order to fulfill what brings Him joy." Another way of putting it is that we’re not done until the jobs done and the jobs not done until Jesus returns. “Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.” (Phil 2:14-16) The work was hard. The persecution was real. It was thankless and slow going and it would have been easy for the believers in Philippi to grumble, complain and even walk away because they felt so alone. So Paul paints the powerful word picture of The Heavenly Father Himself, through the power of The Holy Spirit, working right alongside them. God doesn’t just passively give us the instructions for living, He gives us the energy, the desire, and the ability to live a life that perseveres and pleases Him until He comes back for us!

Application

I grew up the son of a gardener and landscaper. I felt it was so unfair that I had to work on Saturdays and in the summer when the rest of my friends were sleeping in, watching cartoons or swimming in the local pool. Pop would take my brother Dan and I to a large yard filled with weeds and would show us how to pull the weeds from the root and not just from top. The soil was filled with clay so every weed required determination. We worked hard while Pop was around, but the minute he went to another job site we started complaining, arguing and criticizing each other (Phil. 2:14). When Pop would return he’d ask us if the job was done and I’d answer with a whole hearted yes. I was really hoping he wouldn’t look too closely because he was too busy, but Pop was rarely too busy to double check and his favorite word was “Review”. We weren’t done until the job was done and that meant that if I was cutting corners I was just prolonging the job. He would remind me that we weren’t just working for our customers but for our Creator. He was a man of His Word and would quote Ephesians 6:7 “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”  Pop would say then and still says to this day, “It’s all worship Jon. Let’s give God our best. We aren’t just working for God. He wants to work with us if we will let Him.” So, then we would stop and pray and ask God for strength and we would finish strong. As a kid I considered it a great injustice to have to work for Pop. Now, I consider it one of the greatest gifts I could have ever been given. Pop not only gave me a great work ethic but a great way to see God at work no matter how difficult the circumstances. What Pop taught me was that I’m not alone in my spiritual growth. If I’m even wanting to do God's will, that desire itself is evidence that God is already at work in me and will help me finish strong.

Prayer

Lord, I’m so thankful that You aren’t a passive God that set the world spinning and left me to figure it out on my own. You are intimately involved in me and through me. You not only show me what to do but give me the heart and power to do it! Thank you for a father that continues to show me who You are and how to work with You!