Helping one another to stand firm

Iain Jamieson May 02, 2025 0 0

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Philippians 3:17 - 4:1 (NIVUK)

(3) 17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

(4) 1Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

You become profoundly disappointed with “things”. I know some (very) rich people. They can’t enjoy their wealth because they worry so much about losing it. They spend more time making money, so as not to spend it and then, when they do spend it, they torture themselves as if they spent it in the “wrong” way. Then having wealth or more stuff becomes an end in itself. It’s not their fault of course it’s the dopamine hit they get from either acquisition or disposition. Same sides of the same coin. Its like “likes” on Facebook – can you ever have enough?

Honestly it really means nothing. When you have a sick relative, or you think you won’t make it through the next day. Stuff is just that, you’d trade it all for one more chance or one more second of love from those you love.

'Can’t buy me love’ – the Beatles said. How true. Nothing of any worth actually has physical “worth”. The “happiest”countries in the world are not the wealthiest, worldliest.

The happiest you’ll ever be is with someone you love and all the castles and riches in the world are eclipsed by their singular presence. You could be in the middle of sand or on the finest satin but the embrace or love is smoother and more silken than any of these.

In Jesus there is real love, real and deep and rich beyond imagining. All the money in the world, all the “things” are just ghosts, ephemera, insubstantial as smoke in the air.

Prayer:

Lord, let me value what’s true.

Lord let me value you.

Lord lift me up from the dopamine surge

To the real surge and strength of the Spirit.

From the world of things

To the world where there are no things

Just love

And love

In you