Last Friday, I sat in my office to read from my Celtic Daily Prayer book; the topic was covenant service. In short, the author said that sometimes our inclinations and interests line up with Christ’s, and sometimes they don’t; sometimes serving Christ is easy, and sometimes it is anything but.
The scriptures for the day’s theme were all about service, but the one that struck me the hardest was Philippians 4:12-13.
“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13 esv)
Too often, we hear only that last sentence, which is essential. But the words in the first two sentences were the ones that struck me hardest. Notice the contrasting doublets: brought low/abound, plenty/hunger, and abundance/need.
Now conflicting circumstances, if not recognized, appreciated, and managed, can lead to ambivalence, and ambivalence renders us incapable of serving 42. Now enter the third sentence, which I paraphrase here:
I can overcome ambivalence through the power of Christ, who supports me! (HitchHiker paraphrase of Philippians 4:13)
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