SHINE LIKE STARS!

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." Philippians 2:14-16

Movie stars have often been referred to as "royalty" by the press, and are often treated by them as if they were demi-gods, by erecting statues in their honor, by preserving their footprints in cement, by museums enshrining their artifacts, and Halls of Fame to salute their deeds. Every month the Hollywood Walk of Fame unveils new stars in their illustrious sidewalk. While movie stars shine by capturing our imagination on screen, godly people transform our lives. As children of God, the people we hold in high esteem are those who shine by their pure and blameless lives, who work hard for Christ to hold out the word of life to us.

While we may not be striving to get a star on a sidewalk or our face on a billboard, we do have the opportunity to shine as godly people, by becoming a celebrity to one person . . . in God’s kingdom. We can have an enormous effect on others as we hold out the word of life through discipleship, one person at a time. With each person we disciple, we become stars who shine brighter and brighter for God’s glorious kingdom.

The word shine in this verse is translated from the Greek word “phenos” which is derived from “phos” and means “light” or “fire” as in the kind of heavenly light that surrounded angels when they appeared on earth. What a beautiful metaphor for how we appear as we share truth with others together with the spiritual purity of our lives.

As Paul stated in this verse, an important part of becoming blameless and pure excludes two things. Our lives will not shine if they are marked with complaining and arguing, or as my two year old would say, “No whining!” While both of these come naturally, a pure and blameless lifestyle doesn’t; as I have rediscovered in my own life this past week. It is a decision we must make to allow no inner debates or secret contentions within us, otherwise we will not be effective in the crooked and depraved generation around us. Paul felt so strongly about this exhortation that he based the value of his labor upon it. He was counting on the Philippians so that he could boast on the day of Christ that his work was not for nothing.

Partners is one ministry at Compass Bible Church that provides a powerful way for us to shine like stars and to also be able to boast on the day of Christ. Partners opens the door for every one of us to hold out the word of life in a more intimate setting if we are willing to labor in the way that Paul did. It is a wonderful setting designed for each partner to know the Lord more deeply through one-on-one learning and accountability.

Our culture measures the accomplishments of celebrities by household name recognition and their performance in the media. As Christians, our goal is not to achieve this kind of cultural “royalty” or even household name recognition but to store up accolades in heaven. This begins by sharing our lives with others one person at a time and continuously holding out the word of life. The best legacy we can leave is our investment in those we disciple, one by one.

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." Daniel 12:3

Just as real stars in the universe cause us to look up in awe of their beauty, we are to shine as stars by our pure and blameless lives enough to cause those around us to lift their faces in awe of Jesus. Our joy is in knowing that in God’s kingdom only one name is recognized, Jesus Christ.

http://www.partnersprogram.org

This was an article I wrote a couple of years ago for the Partners newsletter.