Always Ready

Always Ready

Paul was always praying for the church (Rom 1:9; Phil 1:3-4; 1 Thess 1:2; Phlm 4). Paul was always eager to preach (Rom 1:15; 15:20; 1 Cor 1:17, 23; 9:16; Gal 1:15-16; Col 1:28). And Paul was ready to die (Rom 14:7; Phil 1:18-25; 3:8-11; 2 Cor 4:7-12, 16-18; 5:6-10, 14-15). Paul commanded the Christians at Corinth to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Cor 11:1). To live with such an attitude is to recognize the author of live, the story of life, and the time of life. Until we grasp the significance of the Christ event in the context of the Jewish symbolic universe and apocalyptic eschatology, we will fail to see the significance of such an attitude. In Philippian 2, Paul encourages his readers to have the mind of Christ who "who, though he was in  the form of God, did not count equality with God  a thing to be grasped, but  made himself nothing, taking the form of a  servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by  becoming obedient to the point of death,  even death on a cross.  Therefore  God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him  the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus  every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and  every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is  Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (5-11).

We are called to always give God his honor, glory, and place in our lives. We must always be ready to share the story we live by (the gospel of Jesus Christ). And we must always be ready to meet our maker.