Philippians 1:9-11 - "Approve the Things That Are Excellent"

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:9–11. This is a prayer that theApostle Paul prayed for the church at Philippi—for the believers there. He waspraying that God would help them be the best they could be for the glory ofGod. Oftentimes we ask the question: How do I pray for my family? How do I prayfor my friends? How do I pray for my pastor? My friend, there are severalprayers in the New Testament where the Apostle Paul prayed for believers indifferent churches. Take time to look those prayers up. Make them your prayers.Write them out. Maybe memorize them, and pray those very scriptural, biblicalprayers for those you want to see the Lord work in. In doing so, you are askingthe Lord to fill them with His Holy Spirit and to give them what they need tobe all that they should be for the glory of God. Asa matter of fact, that is exactly what Paul says in this prayer. Read itagain—Philippians 1:9–11:  Now,as we look at this prayer, we have already talked about how he first prayedthat their love would abound more and more. He prayed that they would have alife of knowledge—living in the understanding of who God is and dedicatingtheir lives to His glory. Then he prayed that they would have discernment. Howimportant it is to have spiritual discernment—to know what is right and what iswrong, what path you should go down, and which path you should avoid. Myfriend, that kind of discernment only comes from being in the Word of God andallowing the Word of God to be in you, guiding your life.  Nowtoday, we come to this next phrase: “that you may approve the things that areexcellent.” This takes discernment one step further. It is not just knowingwhat is right and wrong—it is choosing what is best. You see, there are manythings in life that are not necessarily wrong, but they are not the best use ofour time, our energy, our focus, or our resources. So Paul is praying thatthese believers would prioritize what truly matters in life. Some have calledthis living a life of significance. Too many of us today live on the level ofsuccess—we are always looking for something more or something better for ourselves,our families, and even our grandchildren. When instead, we should be asking,“What does God want for our lives?” Rememberwhat Jesus said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, andall these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). My friend, we areliving in a day of what could be called “weapons of mass distractions.” Ourtelephones, our emails, our text messages, our iPhones—all of these things canpull us away from what truly matters. Let me encourage you: do not think oflife as a list of priorities—God first, family second, church third, and so on.Instead, think of it as a circle. In the very center of that circle is God—theHoly Spirit, the Lordship of Jesus Christ. ReadRomans chapter 14, where it speaks of Christ being Lord of all. Is Jesus trulythe Lord of your life? Is He at the center of everything you do? This does notmean you simply rank one thing above another. It means that whatever you do,you do it for the glory of God, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and withHis blessing upon your life. That is what Paul is talking about here—“thatyou may approve the things that are excellent.” Choose carefully the thingsthat are best for your life. Youmight consider reading Charles Hummel’s The Tyranny of the Urgent, which speaksabout how urgent things often crowd out what is truly important. They demandimmediate attention, and as a result, we neglect the important things thatmatter most. So I encourage you, my friend: read the Scriptures. The Bibletells us that these things are given to help us become men and women ofGod—complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Let the HolySpirit of God take the Word of God and help you not only to do what is right,but to choose what is best. “Approvethe things that are excellent.”