Philippians is done. In the interim, while I wait for the next series to take shape, there are some random thoughts that have captured my attention as we have meandered through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Following Paul’s unwitting disclosure of his own life and character in his writings, I have gleaned some valuable insights into this life of faith and obedience to which we have also been called.

Did you know that everyone is s messenger? 

There can be absolutely no doubt that we belong to Jesus. We are bound to Him by faith. He has received us. We are forever His and joined to Him for now, in this life, and in the life to come. Whatever we face and experience in this life, Jesus has accepted full responsibility for every detail of who we are, what we need, and why we are here. We are unconditionally loved and treasured, far beyond what we can fully understand or appreciate. 

This close and unbreakable union with Jesus has some spinoffs for us. One that I am recognising with increasing understanding is that we are His messengers and His message. 

 What do I mean? 

Whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not, in every circumstance or situation we face, we are unwittingly saying something to those around us. Yes, we testify to Jesus by our words but…what we don’t say…or what we say by implication…often says much more than our words convey. 

I am realising that I am a walking message about the one in whom I believe. This means that my union by faith in Jesus has moment-by-moment evidence in the nitty-gritty of my life…whether my faith in Jesus translates into a character being transformed or whether my witness is only cosmetic. 

Jesus spoke some sobering words to those who pretended to follow Him. 

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This question has no answer except in the conscience of those who want to get what they can get from Jesus without the intimacy and fruit of true union with Him. 

Jesus spoke of fruit that identifies the nature of the tree. 

“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, I ask myself as I journey through each day, “What message am I passing on to the people I meet? Does the way I conduct my life…what I say and how I say it, what I do when I’m alone or in company, meet someone I consider beneath or above me…speak of Jesus or of myself…I, me, and mine? 

Being a witness to Jesus is so much more than preaching to an unbeliever. Being a witness means being both a messenger and the message…every moment of every hour of every day…being aware that Jesus and I are one.