Developing an attitude of gratitude #8: living up to who we are

let us live up to what we have already attained.  Philippians 3:16

I am a new creation. Each day, I am being made new. I am loved by the God of love. I am part of the body of Christ, God’s body, here on earth. I was created with a unique purpose to shine as a star in the sky.

This is what I have already attained. Each one of us have.

So let’s live up to that.

This takes maturity: a maturity that does not easily take offence, that strives for unity, that sees the best in everyone, that does not grumble, that practises humility,that knows how to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances.

Paul was able to say ‘Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters’. Are we able to say that? When others look at our lives, what do they see? Are we living lives that model Jesus’ way, truth and life? Is our example worth following?

Who inspires you? Paul warns us to be careful who we pick to be our role models. If we respect someone for what they are and do, then we need to understand what it is about them we respect. If you get a chance today, write down five people who you would love to be more like, and what it is about them you admire. Does this move you closer to ‘living up to what you have already attained’ or is it a distraction, moving you further away from living out the life and love of Jesus?

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 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.  Philippians 3:20-21

Jesus is all about restoration. A time is coming when everything and everyone will be restored to exactly how it should be . The whole world and everything in it will be restored to how it was created to be. That perfect world that God created at the beginning of time will be a reality once again.

That’s what we eagerly await. I don’t know about you, but I long for this world to be different. When I watch the news, I long for all the suffering and wars and famines and hatred and greed to cease. Imagine the world as it was created to be – I so want to be a part of that!

Actually, the reality is that I already am! My citizenship is in heaven. Now. Already. I already belong to that new world order. I have the capacity within me to live in this new way, this new truth, this new life now. This is what it is to shine as a star, to live as a role model of Jesus’ resurrection power and restorative love right here, right now. It’s far from easy. I am far from perfect. But I can practise what it looks like for me to be a citizen of heaven every single day. In that sense, I am not waiting. We pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as in heaven. This is the point of getting up in the morning, of showing up to face the day. This is the motivation behind everything that we do.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.

So let it be today.

Amen.