Spiritual musings of Steve Brewer. Intended to frequently inspire, and occasionally amuse. Soli Deo Gloria
Colossians 2:6-7 – So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (NIV 1978)
My Musings – How did we receive Christ Jesus? By faith. How then are we to live in Him? By faith.
My Advice – God saved you for a purpose, that you might continue to live out your life with Him is faith. Do it with thanksgiving.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. (NIV 1978)
My Musings – We are, to a great extent, what we think about. If we think about these things, they cannot help but improve our attitudes. But if we think about the opposite, it can only erode our attitude.
My Advice – Be careful about the things that you allow to occupy your thoughts. Whether good or bad, they will eventually affect you. Make sure they are good.
Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV 1978)
My Musings – We do not have to live in anxiety, no matter what perilous things we may be going through. We need only pray. We may not always get what we pray for, but we can always find peace.
My Advice – Don’t let anxiety overwhelm you. You may not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control how they affect your heart and your mind. Just pray. God will grant you peace in the storm.
Philippians 2:14 – Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. (NIV 1978)
My Musings – It is a dark world. We should stand out because we are children of the light. We do not want to blend in or be indistinguishable from the darkness.
My Advice – There are many ways to get ahead in your career. Do it in a way that you can be proud of. Stand out by standing for what is right and by doing things the right way.
Philippians 2:2-5 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus. (NIV 1978)
My Musings – Ambition is fine, as long as it is not driven by selfishness. Humility does not mean you have to have a low opinion of yourself, just don’t be conceited and drive others down. It is okay to look out for your own interests as long as you don’t do it at the expense of others.
My Advice – Watch yourself in your career that you do not become driven by selfish ambition. Do not let success make you vain and conceited. Don’t walk over others to advance yourself. Help others at work.
Philippians 1:27 – Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. (NIV 1978)
My Musings – All too often we compartmentalize our lives into the spiritual and the worldly. In spiritual situations we conduct ourselves as a Christian should. In other situations, our behavior may not be grossly improper, but also not altogether consistent with our Christianity. This should not be. We are who we are wherever we are and should conduct ourselves appropriately.
My Advice – No matter what situation you find yourself in, whether at work or with friends, ask yourself if what you are doing is consistent with your profession as a child of God.
Ephesians 6:12 – Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace…the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
My Musings – A soldier would not go into battle without being properly armed and protected. So it should be with us. We do spiritual battle every day but are largely unprepared for it, then wonder why God allows us to get beat up so much of the time.
My Advice – Be ready for spiritual battles. While there may not be demons hiding behind every challenge or misfortune, you still need to be wary. Satan does not want you living for God, so be on your guard. Be truthful and live a righteous life. Be ready to share the good news. Strengthen your faith. Be secure in your salvation and study God’s Word.
