Philippians 4:9 AMPC
[9] Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
There is a lot of power in personal example. It is easy to talk and direct people to do certain things, but nothing can be compared with the power that comes from a life whose pursuits and priorities reflect discipline and simplicity, as well as alignment with God's Word. This is the point Paul was trying to make in the verse above, and we will do well to consider his journey, and apply what we observe to our own lives today. Here was a man whose past was as zealous as they come. He believed in the superiority of his race and would not let anyone or anything else take precedence over it. Following the mighty move of the Holy Spirit in the early church, many came to the saving knowledge of Jesus and they took the fruit of thsir faith everywhere they went. We saw Saul for the first time being a willing party to the stoning of Stephen. We also saw him taking permission from the authorities to arrest anyone who belonged to the Way of Christ. If that is not dedication to a cause, I do not know what else it is.
Saul would believe in a cause and he would go all out for it. That was the personal example that he was now laying down as a lesson for his audience in Philippi, as well as those of us who are now following after God. It cannot be business as usual; we have been called to Holy living and righteousness; we have been called to represent God in the world we have been placed. We have been called to be God's eyes, ears, hands, feet and heart. When men come in contact with us, the aroma of His presence must be evident upon our lives. Reflect on this: how else will people be drawn to the saving grace of Jesus if there are no personal examples of the change He can bring into a life? How do I make the life of God attractive if His light does not shine out of me? God is still in the business of doing mighty things in the lives of those who are fully committed to Him, just as He did in the lives of the men and women we read about in the Bible.
God has not changed. He remains the same yesterday, today and forever. His children too must make Him very proud by living lives of consistency. There has to be a match between my talk and my walk. There has to be harmony between my outer profession and my inner conviction. Think of the confidence that made Paul say this: 'Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it'. He was not one given to eye-service or hypocrisy. He was sure that His life was patterned after God's will. Whether it was his practice, or his words, or even what he did when he thought no one was looking at him, all became messages that would impact the lives of people around him. Can I dare say the same to those who surround me? That kind of consistency is what promotes God's kind of peace. You are not troubled by the drama all around you. That is peace that I must crave and live for. Wouldn't you? God's time of favour is here.
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