weekly verse: Philippians 1:21

I've got this idea that I'd like to post a verse each week, that has been most meaningful to me that week, and then reflect back on it each day that week, and make an effort to memorize it.  Over the past year I have made absolutely no effort to memorize any verses other than the ones that I already know, and I would like to be more diligent with this once again, creating the habit of memorizing Scripture and guarding my heart with Truth.  God uses the verses that I already do have memorized to speak to me quite often, to encourage, comfort, and challenge me as needed (or for me to do so for others).  I'm going to start off with the verse that the Lord has most used to challenge me from last week, and I'll continue to memorize and meditate on this verse until He brings me to something else.  So I'm hoping that this will become a regular habit, and you should hold me accountable to that!

For this week it will be Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

As I mentioned in a previous post I have recently joined a ladies Bible study that is covering the book of Philippians.  We are actually going through the Elizabeth George study guide for this book.  We do one lesson each week, and each lesson covers  from 4-10 verses.  God used Phil 1:21 to speak to me from the lesson last week, and to continue to convict me so much that I have no choice other than to focus on it.

Our lesson this week focused a lot on how Paul wasn't scared of death, because he knew and understood the truth that to die and be absent from the world is to be in the presence of Christ.  Paul longed for this, just as he longed to glorify Christ in all that he did in this world.  This wasn't the focus of what God has been showing me this week though.  Rather than dealing with me on death and being present with Christ God has been dealing with me on my life.  He's been showing me of how completely Paul's life was surrendered to, and centered on Christ.  That life is all and only about Christ, knowing Him, serving Him, and making Him known.  Oh how I wish that I could say that my life is a good example of that, but I fear that it's not.  So often my life seems to be about things of this world, with a side of Christ thrown in.  Oh how I long to really understand and live in a way of making my life all about Christ.  Oh how I long to follow Christ so fully that all others I come in contact with could see Him.

Lord, thank you for Paul, for his example, for your Word, for your death, and for your resurrection.  Lord, weed out the things in my life that are taking over, and pushing you out.  Take my life Lord, and use it for your glory.  May I not hold anything back from you, may I understand truly that my life is all about you and bringing you glory.  May you use something as small as myself for your purposes.

One of my favorite Christian songs ever is Center, our church worshipped with this song yesterday, and I believe it was just one more way of God continuing to speak to me and center me on him...

"You’re the center of the universe

Everything was made in You Jesus
Breath of every living thing
Everyone was made for You

You hold everything together
You hold everything together

Christ be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives

We lift our eyes to heaven
We wrap our lives around your life
We lift our eyes to heaven, to You"

Shannon