Philippians 2:12-18 and the Problem with Having Ideals

Observation: Paul writes to the church in Philippi that they should work without murmuring or arguing, to be a good example for the world in which they "shine like stars".

Application: One of the most persistent challenges to my faith is the behavior and attitudes of Christians (myself included). We say one thing and do another. We talk about loving one another, until someone unwittingly sits in our favorite pew. We talk about praying for our enemies, but it's on rare occasions we can bring ourselves to do it with any kind of conviction. If the Philippians were "shining like stars," I'd be lucky to shine like an LED flashlight most days.

That's the problem with having ideals: you'll always fall short. Always. The only other solution is not to have any ideals. Either you'll sometimes be a hypocrite, or not believe in anything to begin with. Those are your choices.

If the behavior of religious believers is your only gauge of God's goodness, then I'm afraid you're getting a very bad impression. But if it's not about being "perfect" or "innocent" or "blameless", but of learning to tell others our story--of how God came to us in our brokenness--then we might still have some way to shine.

Prayer: God, shine in and through us, even when we are not looking or acting much like you. Amen.