W6D2: In Me

"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9 NASB

When Paul wrote this, he was trying to convey to the body of Christ the things he had learned and how he had learned them. He was raised a man of privilege in Jewish circles. He was a highly educated man, a man of means and he was a Roman citizen. As a citizen of Rome, he had authority, influence and protection that most Jewish authorities did not have. He was a religious zealot and he had made it his life’s mission to destroy the followers of Jesus.

But all that changed for him. In the flash of a light this proud man was struck with blindness, a humiliating situation in those days. He had to be led like a child to a room and was now considered one of the “sinful.” In his culture he had become “subhuman.” For three days he was so distraught at what had happened to him that he neither ate nor drank anything. For three days he thought about how he had persecuted people because he felt he was so much better than them. He was blind and useless, but he was praying. 

He was praying for forgiveness because the voice in the light had told him how very wrong he was. He had hunted down and even participated in the murder of the followers of Jesus. He could only hope to be forgiven of all the pride and wrong he had done. This man who had committed so much terror and pain, suddenly realized the depths of his own depravity and the even greater depths of God’s love. Paul found the forgiveness and healing he needed in Jesus.

It radically changed him. Paul's transformation was so incredible that it enabled him to view life in a totally different way. It allowed him to write letters full of hope and contentment, even while he was in prison awaiting his execution. We know that even though Paul became a new creature he still struggled with his thoughts and actions. But for the most part, he found a way to be full of joy and peace, even when his situation was far from joyful or peaceful. 

Paul wrote these letters so we can find the same freedom he had. Freedom from fear, anxiety and the darkness of this world. He yearned to show us how to walk in that freedom, by watching him follow Jesus. He wrote to show us that following Jesus may be hard, but it is so worth it. The benefits far outweigh the pain and the struggle. So he says to watch him, learn from him and choose the better way of life. There are always trials in life, but Paul’s life proves choosing Jesus is the way to overcome them and live in victory when others would wallow in defeat.

Do you see how watching others grow and learn through the trials of life can be encouraging for you? Name some people you have regular contact with that inspire you to be a better person tomorrow than you are today. If you don’t have anyone in your life like that, what can you do to find them?

Meditate on “in me" today.