A Surpassing Gratefulness
Our work can be glorifying to God. Strike that. Our work should be glorifying to God. No matter what field we find ourselves in — medical, financial, educational, non-profit, etc — we should be working for the glory of God and for the glory of his kingdom. I think many times I miss this. It's easy for me to get caught up in "the grind," as they say, and miss the subtle nuances of what we are doing day in and day out as an office.
I work in fundraising. Luckily, I get to do that alongside some pretty great people at a pretty great place. I am extremely blessed in what God has provided me with here at Ouachita. But, like anywhere else, sometimes it's easy to get caught up with every day tasks causing us to lose focus on our primary goal.
It's been an encouragement these last few weeks to be studying some of Paul's letters to the early churches. In the book of Ephesians, Paul encourages the church with the grace of God, the unifying power of the Gospel, and the charge to be imitators of Christ. In Galatians, Paul warns and rebukes the church of false gospels and legalism, declaring that Christ lives within them and salvation is attainable by faith alone. He charges them to walk by the Spirit, having the desire to produce fruit and live a righteous life.
And now, Philippians. When you read this letter, it overflows with joy and thankfulness. Even though Paul is writing this letter from prison he is thankful. Regardless of his circumstance, right? He's in prison, and yet he sees that as an opportunity to give thanks.
I want to focus on the end of chapter four for this post, but I want to lay some groundwork for Paul's thanksgiving and joy. Paul communicates this to the church at Philippi:
I am thankful for you; you are living out the Gospel (1:3-11)
To live is Christ, to die is gain; Paul, as long as he's alive, will continue to be consumed with Christ's concerns, passions, values, and mission (1:19-30)
He says to live humbly; to model and reflect the service of Christ (2:1-18)
Christ has made me his own; Paul shares with us that he is not perfect, but is being made perfect in Christ (3:1-16)
Strive for the surpassing worth of knowing Him (3:8, 3:17-21)
As we get to the closing of Paul's letter, he continues to encourage the church at Philippi. He says, "Therefore...stand firm in the Lord" (4:1). Everything he has said in his letter has led up to this moment. Listen to his charge:
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things
Philippians 4:8
Is Paul is suggesting to the Philippians that when they live like Christ, when they find their identity in him, and when they seek to know him even more, they will be able to stand firm in the Lord? Paul doesn't stop there.
Paul, in the last part of his letter, thanks the people of Philippi for their financial support of his ministry. They've been supporting him since the beginning. Before anyone else was on board with Paul, Philippi was all about this guy. They support him when he is with them, when he goes away, and even when he is in prison. They have completely bought into his ministry.
And after Paul thanks them, he clarifies why he is thankful. Philippians 4:17 says, "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit." Don't get me wrong here. Paul is thankful for the financial support he has received thanks to the Philippians. He is grateful for them. But he makes clear to them that he is thankful for something of even greater significance:
Paul is thankful because of their faith in the work of Jesus Christ.
He's thankful because they are faithful to the Lord and to the ministry that he has been entrusted with. They have buy in. They are stakeholders. They believe in what God is doing.
Fundraising is tough. I need to be reminded to have this frame of mind and this stirring in my heart daily. I want to be grateful, to be thankful for the gifts donors make to Ouachita — but I want to be even more thankful for the fruit those gifts will bear in the lives of students on campus. God is moving at Ouachita and doing some incredible things. I don't want to lose sight of the main goal. It's not all about the money. It's about what God can do with these gifts when given faithfully, and it's about the fruit that these gifts can bear. I want to be grateful for their faith in the work of Christ Jesus through Ouachita.
I want to encourage you to find your identity in Christ, to know him deeply, and to reflect him daily to those around you. Live abundantly through him, and be abundant in your thanksgiving.