for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  Philippians 2:13

Today I was reminded in a very personal way of the compelling truth of this statement. I was buying a few items for my wife at a local retailer when my cell phone rang. I answered, and what I heard was confirmation that God is at work…IN ME!

It would not be appropriate to give details but I can say that some tiny action on my part, which I could have done earlier, but felt compelled to wait for some reason (now I know the reason..) was in fact serving God’s greater purpose. God’s ways are higher and more important than mine and since He is my sovereign God He can use something rather insignificant to do something wonderful!

The verse above was written against the back-drop of this passage:

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:4-11

It says to me, Don’t be self-centered, consumed by your own needs. Think of someone else’s needs for a change. Think of the humiliation of Jesus and like Him, humble yourself so that the one who loved you and died on a cross for you can receive even more glory. It is a good plan!

I now wonder, how many times some little act of kindness, maybe just a warm smile or a few words of encouragement, might have been used by God to make a huge difference in someone’s life?

What a wonderful, exciting experience, to walk with God, knowing full well that He is in me, not just as a silent spectator, but as the omnipotent God working through me to bless others and to magnify Himself!

I am a blessed man.

Royce