The Presence of Love and Goodness

“My prayer for you is that you may have still more love – a love that is full of knowledge and every wise insight. I want you to be able always to recognize the highest and the best and to live sincere and blameless lives until the day of Christ. I want to see your lives full of true goodness, produced by the power that Jesus Christ gives you to the glory of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

After Paul greets the Philippian church and addresses them personally, he writes this prayer into his letter. He prays that they might have more love. Not in the dramatic way in which he addresses the issue of love in his letter to the Ephesians – praying that they are rooted and founded in love, that they know that love, are filled with that love until they are filled with God Himself. His prayer is an emotional plea that they might experience God’s love. Perhaps the urgency of this letter is finally reflected in the first chapters of Revelation when the Church at Ephesus is reprimanded for “losing its first love,” love which, like the seeds planted in the parable of the sower, had no root and withered and died. The letter to the Philippians, however, has a different tone…a prayer that their love might be wise and insightful. This is a prayer for the maturing of love that exists. It is, perhaps, words to young Christians who are still in the exuberant stage of their relationship with Jesus and need to move to the understanding of what is “the highest and the best.”

We understand the reluctance of the Philippians to move from the honeymoon period of Christianity into the full knowledge of responsibility and action. It is so much easier to close our eyes and bask in the excitement, the wonder of new love. But we are called to lives full of goodness.

We accomplish this in two ways. First our love must increase. One needs only to look at the human relationships of family to understand how this occurs. In the early stages of marriage, love seems contained only in our mate, the one to whom we have declared our devotion and dedicated our lives. But as time passes and children and grandchildren are added to the equation, we realize that the boundaries of love can expand and we include more in its circle. Love, that once seemed solitary, now knows no limits. As Paul explained to the Corinthians, love “believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” It is this quality of love that Paul encourages the Philippians to develop. In his first letter, John writes “God is Love.” And, he continues, God has shown this incredible love by calling us His children – by bringing us into His family through the blood of Christ. We follow in our Father’s example when we love. But it is not enough that we love God. We must love His creation which is made in His image.

And so this love becomes action. Paul challenges the Philippians to fill their lives with true goodness. Jesus questioned Peter three times after His resurrection, asking if Peter loved Him. Each time Peter replied, Jesus instructed Him to feed His sheep. Love is identified in goodness, and goodness through action. Paul says to the Roman Christians “Don’t have imitation love. Have a hatred for evil and real devotion to good.” And then he proceeds to lists ways that our love is manifest through actions and attitudes. (Romans 12)

In the abstract, it is easy to see ourselves, engulfed in the love of God, sharing that love with His creation. But in reality, no matter how much we love God, sometimes it is hard to love His creation. Our desire to be and do good becomes lost in envy, in doubt, in fear, in revulsion. The truth is we can’t accomplish this by ourselves. Paul adds in his prayer that this goodness is produced by the power of Jesus Christ, given to the glory of God. God does not expect us to handle this alone. He knows our weaknesses and our confusion. But He has given us power through Jesus and, with His power, we are able to love as we have been called to love.

Introduction to Thought Questions

The thought questions are provided to help personalize the message of the text. They may be addressed in different ways. Perhaps you might write down your reflections so that you may return to them as you go through the study. Or, if you prefer, you may share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below and discuss them with others. This “double” approach provides you with a way to remain in your comfort zone and still grow through introspection and study.

Thought Questions

1. How do we include others in our circle of love? How do we recognize those who need inclusion? Is it always a negative situation that calls our attention? Is there ever a time when we need to pass by rather than include?

2. Goodness is the state of our being. We express that goodness through our actions. What are some ways you can express the goodness of God though your personal actions? Paul reminds us that our lives and thus the love that fuels our actions and our outreach to others must exhibit wisdom and insightfulness. Our wisdom comes through study and prayer but our insight is derived from our understanding of our fellowman. How does God provide us with this understanding? Are we always open and accepting? What might be times we are reluctant to be insightful?