“…I count everything as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…”

— Philippians 3:8

Tragically, many people are essentially wandering around in life, aimlessly. For all practical purposes, they are marking time. They are like the proverbial man in jail with marks on the wall, representing how many days, weeks, months, or years he has fulfilled. Many are living as if they are just waiting to die.

But when Christ changed my life, I can now say He is the purpose of my life. Is everything you do done for Christ? From now on, everything is for Christ. I believe I can honestly say that is the ordinary purpose of everything in my life, whether it be to get up or to go to sleep, to exercise or to rest, to eat or to fast, to study or to work, to do anything at all. The great over-arching transcendent purpose of everything I do is for Christ. For with Paul I can say, “For me to live is Christ.” He is the purpose of my existence.

He is so, for if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation with a new purpose, new desires, and new wants to please Christ. I suppose almost every young person going through school goes on that quest in which he tries to answer the questions: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” Where did I come from, and where am I going?” “What is my purpose for life?” Living for Christ answers all those critical questions.

El Shaddai, You are all sufficient. Thank You that there are answers to the basic questions of life. Thank You for giving meaning and purpose to life. Thank You for revealing the answers…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE LIVE
LIVES FULL OF MEANING.

“But what things were gain to me, I have counted these things to be loss for the sake of Christ.”

— Philippians 3:7

During the decade of the 1950s, a bright and brilliant star flashed across the cinematic and recording sky. It was a star that belonged to a young man with a magnificent voice. The name of that young man was Mario Lanza. But suddenly, unexpectedly, inexplicably, he died—a man who some said had, perhaps, the greatest voice ever.

His records sold more copies than any record ever had until that time. His lifetime goal was to portray the life of Enrico Caruso on the screen, a man he most admired. That dream came to pass in the mid-fifties.

My wife, knowing that I enjoyed his singing, bought several of the few motion pictures for me that he had made. One of them, The Toast of New Orleans, was a story about a rough-cut and unkempt young fisherman, at a bayou in Louisiana. When his talent for singing was discovered one day, the man gave him money for a suit and a haircut.

That astonished the young man. He said, “A haircut? …for singing?”

Then the impresario said something I will never forget. He said, “From now on, everything is for singing.”

When I heard those words, I thought: What a beautiful description of what it means to become a Christian. To become a Christian, very simply, is this: From now on, everything is for Christ. Every thought, every motive, every desire, every action, everything we do is to be done for Christ. Thus, our autobiography could well be called “Christ, My Life.”

Jesus Christ, You are my life. Give me strength for today to be single-minded, to keep in mind that I am not my own. I belong to You. Let all I do and say and think today be pleasing to You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE CAN LIVE FOR CHRIST.

“…reaching forward to those things which are ahead…”

— Philippians 3:13

In Philippians 3, Paul uses athletic imagery to describe his race for Christ. “Reaching forward” is a figure of a runner whose hand is stretched out way in front of his body. He is telling us that we need that eager aspiration, that enthusiasm that comes with God within us, causing us to reach out after greater things. Our soul needs to be ten or twenty paces in front of our body.

We need that eagerness of heart. Too often we go through our jobs, we go through our devotions, we go through our worship, we go through our service for Christ with a perfunctory attitude. There is no eagerness that drives us. We need to have that eagerness of spirit.

Paul adds, “I press toward the goal to the prize” (v. 14). In addition to eagerness of spirit, there needs to be great exertion expended to reach the mark. The words “press toward the goal” here mean to pursue, to virtually persecute, and to go after something in an intense way.

We who are saved, know that eternal life is not the result of our pursuing, of our running a race, but it is a free gift because of Christ’s death on our behalf. We have then set before us a vision of the prize of the high calling of Christ where we can live our lives for His glory until that day when the King shall call us up on high and crown us with an imperishable crown. Keep your eye on the prize as you run the race.

Lord, give me strength for today to run the race. I am often weak and stumbling along. Give me the grace to keep my eyes on heavenly things. Thank You that You will lead me safely home one day…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE WILL FINISH THE RACE.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

— Mark 10:45

Instinctively, we know we should not be selfish. There is a problem, however, in doing that. Think about others? Forget yourself? If people are basically selfcentered, how can they do that?

There is only one answer to that question, my friends. When we receive Christ into our lives and hearts, we die to self; we are crucified with Christ and we find the God who provides all of our needs.

The reason people can’t forget themselves is because they are so needy. They are such pitiful, weak, temporal creatures, and yet Christ comes and meets all of these needs. Christ has promised to supply all of our needs out of His riches in glory. Therefore, because we have the guarantee that Christ is going to take care of us, we don’t have to manipulate them to do that because Christ has freely and graciously offered to do it for us Himself. We can begin to think differently of other people.

Because of selfishness and pride, we are always putting other people down. Yet every person has good points and bad points, and generally we tend to see the bad points. Author J. K. Morley said this: “I can complain because rosebushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. It’s all [in] how you look at it.” Now think of your husband or wife or boss as that “bush.” Which do you do? Do you complain because bosses or wives or husbands have thorns, or do you rejoice because they have roses as well?

Jehovah-Jireh, we thank You for supplying all our needs and providing for everything we need for body and soul. Help us to be helpful to others and to focus on the good in them…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
SEE THE GOOD IN OTHERS.

“Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

— Philippians 2:4

Did you ever hear of the great lesson learned by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., founder of the Rockefeller dynasty? By the time he was 33, he had become a millionaire. By the age of 53, he had become the world’s first billionaire. He was the richest man in all the world. But Drs. S. E. McMillan and David E. Stern, in their book None of These Diseases, say that Rockefeller had traded his happiness and his health for his wealth.

Rockefeller had developed a condition called Alopecia, and as a result lost all of his hair. He looked like a mummy. Although he made a million dollars a week, a biographer says that he enjoyed absolutely nothing. He had lost his appetite and his sleep.

Then one night he realized that he was going to die soon, and he couldn’t take his wealth with him. That hit him like a bolt right out of the blue. He became totally depressed and overwhelmed. But then he had a brilliant idea.

Being a practical man, the next morning he got up and began to put his idea into practice. He started giving away money systematically. This focus on others caused a major turnaround. He eventually lived to 97.

He was living a happy life because he had simply made a discovery of that which Jesus told us long ago: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Rockefeller had learned to think of someone else other than just himself.

Father God, Giver of all gifts, give me strength for today to live a generous life today and to give of myself. Let Your generosity inspire me to also give generously to others…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH
WE CAN BE GENEROUS.

“For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.”

— Philippians 2:20

If you really want to stand out, think about others instead of just yourself. Most people do the opposite.

Years ago, a telephone company made a detailed study of telephone conversations to find out which word is the most frequently used. It is the same word that is most used in daily conversations. It is the word “I.” It was used 3,990 times in 500 telephone conversations. “I.” “I.” “I.” “I.” “I.” People think about themselves morning, noon, and after dinner, too, said Dale Carnegie.

On an airplane one time I sat next to a tennis pro. We had a very interesting conversation. I talked at length about her tennis, and she was very interested. Then I changed the subject and boom—her interest rate dropped to zero, instantly. I switched the subject back to her and immediately the dial went up to 100 again. She reminded me of “Edith,” a lady someone described as “a small country bounded on the north, east, south and west by Edith.”

There is not too great a market out there for your complaints. Someone said that you and I will discover that about 50 percent of the people don’t care what is wrong with you and the other 50 percent think you are getting what you deserve anyway.

In Christ, we are called to a life of unselfishness. Instead of “looking out for number one,” we are told to put others’ interest ahead of our own. May God free us from our selfishness.

Self-existing God, You made us for Yourself and You made us to make life better for each other. Help me today to take the focus off myself and my problems and to focus on the people You put in my path…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
CAN FOCUS ON OTHERS.

“A man who has friends must show himself friendly.”

— Proverbs 18:24

Some people may wonder why they have so few friends. But the Bible says to have friends, you must be a friend.

Dale Carnegie in his famous book How To Win Friends and Influence People said this: “Why should people be interested in you unless you are first interested in them?”

A well-known maxim puts it this way:

I went out to find a friend,
but could not find one there.
I went out to be a friend,
and friends were everywhere.

Carnegie said that the greatest lesson he ever learned about human relations, he learned in his youth from a dog named “Tippy,” a little yellow-haired dog with a stub tail. When Tippy would see him coming, he would run up to him, his short stubby tail wagging so hard that his whole body was wagging. He would lick his hands and run around his ankles and want to be petted. He was so genuinely friendly to Carnegie that he just could not possibly keep from petting that little dog. Tippy knew a great lesson, a great secret about relationships. He had no lack of friends because he showed himself friendly.

Show yourself friendly; think about others. Instead, we are so eager to go out and wigwag people into being impressed with us, thinking they will then be our friends. People couldn’t care less about that.

It is good to make friends, especially those whom we can build up in Christ. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Triune God, You who created us for fellowship with You and with each other, I thank You today for my friends. Help me to be a good friend to those You have placed in my life…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
BE A GOOD FRIEND TODAY.

“Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things.”

— Philippians 4:8

The author William Thackeray once said: “The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.”

Some people never learn that lesson. They are miserable, and their life is a failure because they never learned that simple truth. I know individuals who have been through one job after another, after another, after another. Why? Because of “those folks over there,” that’s why. Those “no-good, low-down, malicious, gossiping, hateful people.” They are going to find when they move to a new job that the people there are just the same.

The mirror of the world is a mirror that reflects quite accurately a picture of ourselves. Thackeray continued “Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly, compassionate boomerang.”

As we think in our hearts, so our faces reflect and so our words embody our thoughts. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:8 that we should focus on the good things. May I ask you: How much time did you spend reflecting on those things this past week? We probably take it very lightly and then wonder why things are so difficult in the world.

God of grace and beauty, fill my heart and mind with loveliness. Make me a beautiful person that I might reflect Your beauty to the people I meet today…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN FOCUS
OUR MINDS ON THE LOVELY AND PURE.

“The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek He will teach His way.”

— Psalms 25:9

There is a story about a ship that was sailing down the coast, and it had to turn into the port. But it was a black night, overcast, no moon, no stars, only a few lights at that time along the shore. How was the captain ever going to find the port? A friend was with him, and he had no idea in that day how in the world this captain was ever going to find his way into that port and into the bay without just running the ship right aground.

And the captain said, in this case it was very simple. “You see that red light over there and that one there and that one there?” He said, “Those lights will eventually line up in a straight line, and at that point I turn 180 degrees to the starboard and sail right into the port.”

That reminds us that there are at least three ways that God does guide the humble of heart. The first of which is by the Scripture, and there is much guidance in the Scripture for us. It is, we should always remember, the only infallible guidance that we have. Then there is guidance through circumstances, and there is guidance through the Holy Spirit. Now certainly the Holy Spirit’s guidance would be completely adequate, but since we have fallen into sin—though He is broadcasting properly—our receptors are dented and marred and distorted and there is so much static we don’t hear clearly. But Scripture is our infallible guide.

Lord, we would be so lost without Your Word. We thank You for the light it daily sheds on our way. Help us to take our guidance from You always. Lord, give me strength for today to follow You where You choose to lead me…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND BY HIS SPIRIT,
WE ARE NEVER WITHOUT COUNSEL.

“…older women should be…teachers of good things, that they may teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children…”

— Titus 2:3-4

God can use you whatever your age. I think of a railroad conductor, who worked until he was sixty-five. Because of his job, he didn‘t get to spend much time in church. When he retired, he wanted to serve the Lord full time. He decided that he was going to invite people to church.

He went around to houses, knocked on doors, gave some kind of literature, and invited people to come to his church. After he died, it was discovered that he had brought 867 people into that church—after he retired.

Are you too old to do anything? I think not. In fact, retired people have more time than most working people. They could use their talents and their energy to serve the Lord and make a great impact.

I think of some people so old that they can do nothing but lie in bed or sit in a wheelchair all day. But if they still have their faculties, they can do something very significant. They can pray. They can pray for their family, for the church, for the pastor, for the country, for the state government, and so on. They can end up having a huge impact for the kingdom through this act of service.

Paul notes that the older women are to teach the younger ones in the church. Could it be, as we see many Americans getting older and older, we have lost sight of their potential service in God’s kingdom? As long as we are in the world, we are in His service.

Our Savior and God, we make ourselves available today to do that which You would have us do. Give us compassion for those who are needy, spiritually or otherwise…

LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH FOR TODAY TO SERVE YOU
WITH ALL MY HEART, NO MATTER MY AGE.