Have you ever heard that someone is so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good? Well, Paul was the complete opposite of that! He was so heavenly-minded that it empowered his earthly good! Paul was a man who knew what he wanted. And what he wanted was to be with God in heaven! As I read the text, it almost seems Paul was yearning for death. His yearning was not morbid or dark but motivated by joy and hope. He knew that what lay ahead was going to be amazing! (Especially when you consider all that he had been through!) Yet he was willing to wait to embrace the clear purpose that God had him on earth… to stay and serve the church in Philippi and wherever the Lord took him. He was convinced that is why God sustained his life through many troubling times to “continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:25). He was in it for the long haul as they grew in their knowledge and trust in the Lord. Though a tentmaker by trade, Paul’s earthly good (and full-time job) was to live as an example of a life well lived in service of God and others.
Are you an excellent teacher? A whiz with numbers (bless you!)? A stay-at-home parent who loves and nurtures tiny hearts and souls? Mechanically gifted and keep cars tuned up and running? It’s so easy to get into “work mode” and focus on the tasks at hand focusing on the earthly things with little thought of the heavenly. Consider this . . . God has you right where you are employed in the full-time work of the Gospel. Be convinced! As a teacher, you are to live in service of God and for others. Be convinced! As a parent, you are to live in service of God and for others. Be convinced! As a mechanic, well, you get the point! By living heavenly-minded in every situation, you can be sure you are doing the will of the Lord.
Are you convinced?
Jessica Klootwyk
Groups and Discipleship Director