Today's Challenge!!!

Paul is in chains as he writes this letter to the church at Phillipi (and to me, as well as you):
(Phillipians, Chapter 1:Verses 19-30)
I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

This morning, as I read this piece of scripture, it made me think ... do we really truly realize just how much of a life altering change we are entering into when we choose to follow Christ? At the time of my baptism, I knew I needed God in my life and that I need to change the way I was living it. I just didn't realize at the time just how much I need to change. I know that as each day goes by I realize how much I have changed, but also see how much farther I have to go. But it gives me great comfort to read passages like the one above and see that even someone as faithful as Paul had a tough go of it ... but it was his faith in Christ God and his willingness to suffer for the gospel, that someone as lost as I ... could be saved ... and that really humbles me. I'm humbled even more when I realize that God has given me that same calling ... the opportunity to use my life as a tool to do what Paul did ... to humble myself before God ... before Christ ... for it has been granted to me on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, so those who do not yet know Christ God can also be saved.

So I put this challenge before you (and myself): Today as we go out into the world, will we go about about our day eagerly expecting and hoping that we will in no way be ashamed, but we will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in our body, whether by life or by death. For to us, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Will we go on living in the body, fruitfully laboring for the lord?