This is my response to Philippians. Enjoy!
"Take a minute if you need to.
List it all out. All your accolades, all your failures. "
Accolades:
- Lets see, I have always been a good girl (by the standards of my mom's friends and such). I've never smoked, never drank alcohol; I saved myself for marriage. I don't use cuss words. (You know, except the ones I made up ... Oh yeah, if you ever hear me say "crimeny" or "crimen," I'm frustrated.)
- I graduated college ... magna cum laude. Yep, I worked my butt off.
- I've read the whole Bible. (That counts for something, right? Especially for an ENFP who NEVER finishes anything.)
- I breastfed my son for over a year (still going) ... I am also a stay-at-home-mama.
- I was part of a Bible study in Savannah that was (still is) super intense.
- I have a wonderful marriage.
Failures:
- Confession Time: Habitual liar right here. God hates that.
- I flunked out of college. Yep, they kicked me out. Seven years in, I graduated.
- In my natural self, I can be kind of judgmental - you know, lacking in the mercy.
- I cry multiple times every week. I am weak.
- I never turn in library books on time. I am always late (to EVERYTHING).
- My house is typically a mess. No housewife of the year award for me.
- I can't seem to get my Bible reading plan on track since becoming a mommy. I look to #SheReadsTruth for help.
Okay, seriously, I could go on all day in the failures category. Please don't be offended by this. I realize how ridiculous some of the things I view as "accolades" sound. This post is me being really honest, and the point of this post is forthcoming. I just wanted to get some of the "accomplishments" that I might (stupidly) put my trust in out of the way. I don't have much of a reason to put confidence in the flesh (as you have seen). The writer of the book of Philippians (which I've been reading in my Bible lately as a part of the #SheReadsTruth community), Paul, had many, many more accolades than this girl.
Philippians 3:3-6:
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh - though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
Paul had a HUGE, long list of religious/cultural accolades, yet he chose to put no confidence in the flesh (even though he had every earthly reason to). Why? Well, he had come face to face with Jesus, and he'd rather have Jesus than the right to boast in all his worldly accomplishments.
The following passage has always been one of my favorites in Scripture. Why? Well, I'm not sure. Now that I really take time to ponder it, it's the anti-me. {I've always been sort of a Pharisee, like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, one who tries to work for her salvation. Silly me.}
Philippians 3:7:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
Anything that I viewed as profitable/good/worthwhile about myself has actually served to hinder the grace of God in my life. (God's power is made perfect in weakness; thus, my delight SHOULD come in my weaknesses/hardships/persecutions/difficulties because it is then that God's power is put on display.)
Philippians 3:3-6:
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh - though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
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| Photo Credit: Kayla Johnson Photography In the background: Hannah :) |
The following passage has always been one of my favorites in Scripture. Why? Well, I'm not sure. Now that I really take time to ponder it, it's the anti-me. {I've always been sort of a Pharisee, like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, one who tries to work for her salvation. Silly me.}
Philippians 3:7:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
Anything that I viewed as profitable/good/worthwhile about myself has actually served to hinder the grace of God in my life. (God's power is made perfect in weakness; thus, my delight SHOULD come in my weaknesses/hardships/persecutions/difficulties because it is then that God's power is put on display.)
Philippians 3:8-9:
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Y'all, everything on Earth is a loss compared to knowing Jesus. He's that awesome! I don't even think that I understand just how good. Paul says that He's so good that everything else is rubbish. Refuse. Poop compared to Jesus. My college degree? Poo-poo. My freshly cleaned house? Dung. All the breast milk in the world? [Glorious] dookey. You get the picture. I could spend my whole life holding on to my accomplishments, glorying in them. OR I could trade in my own cheap, sorta made-up righteousness and just trust Jesus for His. [That's where the faith part comes in.]
Added bonus for trusting Jesus? I get to know Him in all His glory {and all that comes with Him ...}
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
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| Photo Credit: Hannah and Randall Photography |
Added bonus for trusting Jesus? I get to know Him in all His glory {and all that comes with Him ...}
Philippians 3:10-11
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Bonus = experiencing in my own personal life the power that raised Jesus from the dead. [WHAT??!!?? Think about that statement for a moment.] {I haven't even begun to tap into this power with my 26-year-old self. Father, as you increase my age, increase my faith.} I also have the extreme honor of experiencing a taste of how Jesus suffered. {Again, I haven't tapped into the reality of this yet. Again, Father, as I grow up in You, strengthen my faith.}
Conclusion? Ashley Beam is sick and tired of trying/striving/beating her head against a wall to muster something that looks like/smells similar/feels almost the same as (but ISN'T) righteousness. I am trading all that for you, Jesus. Truth? I am a quite the hot mess anyway. Let's be real. Jesus is the only one who has it together, and I desperately want Him.
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Bonus = experiencing in my own personal life the power that raised Jesus from the dead. [WHAT??!!?? Think about that statement for a moment.] {I haven't even begun to tap into this power with my 26-year-old self. Father, as you increase my age, increase my faith.} I also have the extreme honor of experiencing a taste of how Jesus suffered. {Again, I haven't tapped into the reality of this yet. Again, Father, as I grow up in You, strengthen my faith.}
Conclusion? Ashley Beam is sick and tired of trying/striving/beating her head against a wall to muster something that looks like/smells similar/feels almost the same as (but ISN'T) righteousness. I am trading all that for you, Jesus. Truth? I am a quite the hot mess anyway. Let's be real. Jesus is the only one who has it together, and I desperately want Him.
Btw, all emphases are mine (in case you were wondering).
Love, Ash
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