For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. – Philippians 2:13
This morning I sat down to read the book of Philippians. The reason I started reading it was because I had another small book that offered commentary on the subject. I decided to read the actual book in the Bible and thought I’d get more out of it. Not to say books on Bible topics or books in general aren’t good, but on this occasion I thought I’d get more out of reading the actual text.
As I read I came across verses that really stood out. One of them was Philippians 2:13. As I sat there with the Bible open and a notebook and pen on hand, the text made me reflect. I’m not tooting my own horn because I’m reading the Bible. It’s something we all should do. I’m not special because of this. But what made me reflect was that me reading the Bible was a literal act of God.
It’s easy to want to do other things. You can find very entertaining shows on Netflix for example. You could watch informative or even funny pranks on YouTube or go out and do something else. I’m saying this because it’s happened to me. Do we not sometimes find more excitement in watching a series on Netflix than reading the Bible or praying? If I’m the only one who has felt this way than I guess I’m in the minority.
Distractions are prevalent especially today when cellphones are a major source of distractions. But when we decide to do something for God, we should realize that it’s not us. It’s God working in us. We don’t pray just because one day our minds and bodies felt like it. We don’t open the pages of the Bible because we desired it on our own. Although there does come a point when we enjoy these activities, we can’t forget that it’s God working in us.
Philippians 1 gives us a very comforting word. It says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Personally I never thought about God outside of going to Catholic church as a kid and hearing His name mentioned from time to time. I remember I was writing rap music with a friend of mine and I’d mention God sometimes in my lyrics. But it wasn’t anything substantial. I didn’t know God and I certainly didn’t envision a life with Him.
But fast forward and now I see myself going to church. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about Him. I could be having the worst day of my life but God is there. He’s on my mind and I can’t escape Him. I’ve wanted to throw in the towel sometimes but deep down I know that a life away from God is not good. Again, I’m not tooting my own horn. What I’m trying to say is that us knowing God and doing anything that involves God is God’s own work.
I never envisioned a life with God and yet here I am trying to write about Him. It’s God’s work. None of us are born with the desire to seek Him. The world offers plenty of pleasures and distractions. Riches, fame, entertainment, you name it. But God had mercy on us. The Bible says that He chose you and me. That’s why you can’t believe someone that says they found God. It’s not true. It’s God that found us.
Reflecting on Philippians 2:13 reminds us that it’s God who is working in us and not us by our own will. The desire to seek God is God’s own grace, mercy, and love working in us. He puts the desire in our hearts. He is the one that moves us to act out what we desire. And that’s why desiring God is a work of God.
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