May 8, 2026, the 128th day of 2026
Be Praise Worthy People
Sometimes we skip over introductions and commendations because of the treasures in the Bible after them and around them.... View MoreMay 8, 2026, the 128th day of 2026
Be Praise Worthy People
Sometimes we skip over introductions and commendations because of the treasures in the Bible after them and around them.
But, we really should read them, not just skim over them. This one caught my eye today.
"Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved."
Philippians 4:1
We may notice the admonition of: "stand fast in the Lord", and miss the words that describe how he thinks about these people: "beloved and longed-for brethren", "my joy and crown".
You don't get that kind of commendation for being barely passable Christians.
We should not be satisfied with being barely passable in our walk with God. We should strive to be people who leave an impact that is good, that brings joy to the hearts of fellow Christians.
The world may despise us. The darker the world becomes, the more the light of God will irritate them.
Unsaved friends and family may not understand us, so they may find it difficult to feel the same thing in our presence that a child of God will feel, even if they care for us.
But we should be a balm to fellow Christians, our brethren. We should be someone that they look forward to seeing and knowing--not someone they dread.
But it really doesn't happen that often, even in Christian circles, because of spiritual warfare that we often don't take seriously.
Because one of the biggest fears of Satan must be the strength of Christians being of one heart and mind. So, he is constantly trying to cause misunderstandings and divisions among us.
It does not help that we often get hurt feelings because of misunderstandings. We make things worse when we push them aside, ignoring the cause because we don't think it is worth bothering with, rather than facing it and fixing it by prayerful communication.
None of us are perfect and we will have misunderstandings with fellow Christians as well as others. We have to be able to work through them. We should not give up because we may stumble.
We may never hear words of commendation spoken to us in this lifetime.
We may never know if we really matter to the people around us.
And we should not need their commendation to continue to be that kind of person who deserves it.
In the long run, as long as Jesus is pleased with us, it doesn't really matter if anyone else is.
But if we are truly being pleasing to Jesus, I would imagine that the people who love Jesus, would care about us as well.
We should choose to be the kind of people who would be worthy of such praise as given to the Philippians, even if we never get it.
Stay strong! Try to notice more of those verses that get skimmed over. They are there for a reason.
NAN
