CHILD FRIENDLY THE INADEQUACY OF THE FLESH!

Philippians 3:1-17 GNT

In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so. [2] Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, those who insist on cutting the body. [3] It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies. [4] I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. [5] I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, [6] and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. [7] But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. [8] Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ [9] and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. [10] All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, [11] in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life. [12] I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. [13] Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. [14] So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above. [15] All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. [16] However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now. [17] Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you.

 

Have you ever felt sad because something didn’t go the way you wanted? That’s called disappointment. It happens to everyone! Maybe it rained when you wanted to play outside, or your toy broke, or your internet stopped working. Sometimes people disappoint us too—they forget, they make mistakes, or they can’t help us.

But guess what? God never disappoints!

When we trust people or even ourselves too much, we can get hurt. The Bible says in Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust the Lord than to trust people.” People can fail, but God never fails!

Why the Flesh Fails

Our own strength—called “the flesh”—is not enough. The Bible says in Galatians 5:16 that the things of the flesh lead to death, but the things of the Spirit lead to life.

Paul understood this very well. Before he met Jesus, Paul thought he was very important because he was smart, a Jew, and kept many rules. But when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, Paul realized all those things didn’t matter. He needed Jesus!

How about you? Do you sometimes think you can do everything by yourself? The Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 that all the good things we do without God are like dirty rag

Even the rich man in Matthew 19 thought he was perfect because he kept all the rules. But when Jesus told him to give his money to the poor, he couldn’t do it. Why? Because his heart was still trusting in himself and his things.

What Should We Do?

We must trust God, not our own strength, not our smartness, not our toys, not our friends. Life can disappoint us, but Jesus never disappoints! Let God lead you, guide you, and teach you.

Paul said in verse 12: Press on! Keep going even when life is hard because God will never fail you.

The flesh is too weak for spiritual things. Let the Spirit help you!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Have I ever been sad because I trusted people instead of God?

Do I try to do things by myself instead of asking God for help?

Are there things I’m proud of that make me forget I need Jesus?

Do I really believe Jesus never disappoints? How can I show that every day?

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for trusting people more than You. Heal my heart from disappointment and remind me that You never fail. Help me to trust Your love every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Shalom!