…Your Need?
S:
Philippians 4:15-18
You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
(NASB)
O: As we often find in Paul’s letters, a double edged sword. In this passage, Paul is thanking the Philippian church for all the ways that they have looked after him. They were often the only group who sent Paul anything in terms of tangible supplies while he was on the road fulfilling his missionary journeys. However, he also reminds them, that whether or not they would have looked after him, God would have seen to it that somehow his needs were met. And he also reminds them that what they gave him actually first came from God, and that God would see what they had done for him as well.
A: So many of us go into marriage with the wrong expectations. Prior to marriage, the whole dating situation was likely based on “what can I do for him?”, or “what would impress her?” We are always thinking about the other person and what we can do for them, or how we can best support them. However, over night (and that would be the wedding night…and sometimes even before the wedding night is over)…a switch flips that turns what can I do for him/her, to what is he/she going to do for me. Everything is looked at from a horizontal viewpoint, because to a large degree, neither of us have developed spiritually or emotionally to think “other personally” (I know, not a proper construct). We set our selves up mentally as the top of the heap, rather than realizing that, in God’s plan for marriage, we are a conduit, or channel, or pipeline for God to use in meeting my spouses needs. We forget about what Christ did for us long before we deserved it; we become petty in our servanthood, “I will I promise…after they do something for me”. We don’t know how to rely on God to meet our needs (often because we don’t know the difference, or want to acknowledge the difference, between needs and wants). “How is God going to meet my need for security?” “How is God supposed to meet my need for sex?” We need to remind ourselves that we are not God, but that we are channels for God to use, and as we allow Him to use us, we get to know him better. Maybe we need to have a sweatshirt embroidered with “God’s Tool” on it, to remind us that we are not the king of the castle, we are to be used by Him to serve others, especially including our spouse.
Many of you will have read the story about an author who knew his marriage was about implode and explode at the same time, and he was looking forward to book tours just to avoid the wars. After a long night of wrestling with God, he determined to ask his wife “What can I do for you today?”…everyday…without expectation…regardless of the outcome. His wife was obviously skeptical at first, but eventually, she came to the realization that God was the source, and that her husband was simply trying to show her God’s love…without expectation…regardless of the outcome. “My God will supply all…All…ALL…your needs, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”
P:
Lord, help us to realize and remember that we are not kings of our castle, but your tool to be used to show your presence to those around us…everyday…without expectation…regardless of the outcome. Amen.