A Different Perspective

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

- Philippians 3:17-4:1

There are a lot of voices swirling around right now, all clamoring for our attention.

Most of these voices are full of fear, worry, and anger.

While a rare few are filled with hope, joy, and peace.

Behind each voice is a leader inviting us to follow their example and each day we have a decision to make:

Whose example are we going to follow?

In this passage, Paul is exhorting listeners to imitate himself when he says, “keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us”.

Paul is not promoting himself here, though.

He is promoting Christ.

He is promoting Christ as they follow his example.

We must choose to keep our eyes on the leaders in our city, our country, and around the world that are setting an example like Paul. Those who are preaching a message of hope, joy, and peace in Christ. We need to be wise in discerning which leaders we listen to and whose leadership we are following.

As we discern between the crowd of voices, Paul gives us a clue as to what we are looking for in the one whose example we are to follow.

The leaders he warns against are the type that fix their gaze on the temporary things of this world. They have their “minds set on earthly things”.

At the end of the day, to rest your hope upon the inconsistent nature of the world only leads you to one place.

As Paul says it, “destruction”.

We cannot expect to live a life of peace, while choosing to listen to voices that are continuously tempting us to keep our eyes focused on the changing, uncertain and broken world.

However, Paul leaves us with a beautiful solution.

He reminds us of a truth that we need to keep close to our hearts:

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

We do not belong to this earth. We are merely sojourners, awaiting our Savior to take us to our proper home. Our hope, our joy, and our peace are set upon the things of heaven.

We must begin to choose to listen to the voices that are leading us closer to the cross of Christ. We are not meant to live in fear of things that are concerned with the flesh, when we know the one who has the power to subject all things to himself. It is upon this truth that Paul invites us to stand firm because he knows that Christ is the only firm foundation.

In a world of constant change, we have a Savior who is unchanging. He is unphased by what is happening. He remains seated upon His throne - in complete control.

We can rest in that today.

As Helen Howarth Lemmel beautifully wrote so many years ago,

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim”.

This is the message for us today. We must begin to live our lives in light of eternity, rather than the present.

Fix your eyes upon Jesus, only then can we truly, be at ease.