“If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.” (Phil. 1:22, ESV)
What an outlook! What assurance! What inspirational lenses through which to view life! Here, Paul is modeling for us the correct perspective for daily living. You and I are on Planet Earth for a very real, very distinctive purpose: fruitful labor!
The context of this passage is a deliberation about what is better: living or dying. Amazingly, Paul asserts emphatically in the next verse that dying is “better by far!” No, he wasn’t suicidal or walking around with a death wish. He was simply captured by the revelation that eternity with Jesus is going to be incomparably better than even the most sublime moments we will ever savor before then.
However, he landed on the conclusion that he was still needed Earth-side, and he was going to need to stick around for a while yet. Full of the revelation of eternity, he expressed that he was living every day in the body dramatically impacted by Heaven’s reality. Full of resolve. Full of determination. Full of purpose.
To him, every day meant fruit. There was no waffling or wavering or wondering, Am I actually making a difference? On the contrary, he was brimming over with the assurance that everywhere he went, he brought God’s presence into the atmosphere.
He communicated this absolute surety in other places as well. For example, he wrote to the Romans, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established” (Rom. 1:11, NKJV). This statement reveals Paul’s outright certainty that his physical presence would be a channel of God’s impartation to these brothers and sisters that he loved.
I believe the Father wants to impart some of that same confidence to you today. He is telling your heart, “I had all of eternity past to meditate on the making of your life. With precise intentionality and flawless calculation, I made My decision to strategically place you where you are. Every day that I give you is saturated with My purpose. I don’t waste anything that is Mine.
“Receive the confidence that, everywhere you walk, you are a conduit of My presence. Receive the conviction that every one of your days carries importance and meaning. In you, I fashioned a breathtaking masterpiece. You are a gift. Walk with lightness in your gait and a song in your heart, grasping My word to you that the light inside of you is a blessing to everyone you encounter!”
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Do you believe that every day of 2019 is critically important?
Feeding On Jesus 
I love that idea of “fruitful labor!” Keeps me headed in the right direction.
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I’m so glad it encouraged you! Happy New Year, Meredith 🙂 Sending lots of love!
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Dear Jennifer, I do believe that every day granted to us is a blessing from the Lord and an opportunity to LIVE for Christ. Len Wisniewski
[I need prayer- yesterday was a major blessing and ended in DEFEAT!! I looked away and fell into SIN.]
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Just seeing this, and praying now for grace, encouragement, and strengthening. His blood is ENOUGH for you, dear brother!
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Every day, I try to be better than I was yesterday. Thanks for this reminder!
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That is beautiful! I love your heart 🙂 And you are most welcome!
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Dear Jennifer, Thank you again. Yes! in every way whether it be with our pens, blogging, living out our daily lives. It is the FRUIT we display that show the world in which we live WHO we are in HIM. Please keep seeking, writing sharing and living. You inspire me to keep daily listening and being inspired in the written sense. Blessings! (I woke up today with the question of Lord, is the writing important?. I Believe His Answer was Let Fruit of My Life be expressed in EVERY POSSIBLE WAY). Keep writing, keep encouraging.!
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Aw, thank you, Faye! It brings me to joy to know this has brought you His inspiration! Thank You Daddy God 🙂 Amen! You keep up the good work too, my sister!
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Oh, absolutely! This precise moment will never be repeated; we get one chance to use it well. On this day, we may need to see the face of Christ in others, or others may need to see the face of Christ in us. In either case, opportunities are there to make the world a better place; it’s truly up to us, through and for Him, to make it happen.— Mike
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I love the way you expressed that, Mike. To see His face in each other. Beautiful. 🙂
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I love this! Awesome! I did a post on fruit of the Spirit too. Here it is, enjoy!
https://godstillspeakstoday.com/2018/08/29/being-fruity/
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Thank you so much for sharing it with me! I enjoyed it very much 🙂
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