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Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…
Philippians 1:27 (NIV)

“Whatever happens”

Have you ever thought about the “whatevers” in your life? I can think of a lot of “whatevers”. I can think of good things like walking down the aisle to get married. I can think of mediocre things like doing the laundry. Then there’s the unthinkable things like the death of our husbands. In discussion with my teens and their first job, their “whatevers” are difficult customers and uncaring bosses.

Widows might also add the stress of all the secondary losses associated with the loss of the spouse. The moving, loss of friendships, loss of income, in-law issues, loss of future dreams, etc.

We have had some crazy “whatevers” in our lives that many people just read about in books. On our Facebook group or at our annual conferences, I hear your stories of cancer journeys – your being the sole care-taker of your beloved. Some of your stories include abuse at the hands of your spouse. Other stories involve murder by stranger. You have lived a lot of “whatevers”.

Whatever happens.

Paul was speaking to the Philippians but I LOVE that it cuts right to my heart today, in the twenty-first century. “Conduct yourself worthy of the gospel.”

When all those exciting, mediocre, and excruciating circumstances come our way, we are to live in a specific way. Who among us would ever say we are “worthy” of the gospel? We certainly are the furthest thing from worthy! That’s why we need a Savior. So what does it mean live “worthy of the gospel”?

I looked the verse up in several English translations and paraphrases to get a more complete idea of what the Apostle Paul meant by this. What I concluded was that we are to live as citizens of heaven, living in a way that brings honor to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a citizen of heaven, I am an ambassador of heaven here on earth. I am living in a way that points others to Christ. Even in my grief and healing journey. People want to know if you and I will continue bringing honor to Christ when we have been crushed to the core. Others want to know how you handle the “whatevers” that hit from every direction.

And when they see you going to God in prayer about your finances or they ask you how you are able to keep loving God, you can respond in a way that points to heaven.

It takes effort and it takes choice. Each day we must come in humility, setting aside our own strength in dependence upon the Holy Spirit working through us.

Remember Job’s wife in the Old Testament? When everything was falling apart in their lives, she told Job that he should just curse God and die. Just get it over with already. Some of your friends might be thinking something similar. “Why doesn’t she stop serving God now that bad things have happened?”

And that’s when you can live your life in a way that honors the good news of the gospel. When life’s circumstances are “good”, no one seems to care about the way you live. But when those circumstances don’t make sense, in our human minds, people are definitely watching. So whatever happens, choose to live as a citizen of heaven. Point others to the good news of the gospel by living with eternity in mind. All this stuff on earth needs to be looked at with an eternal perspective.

Lord Jesus, thank You for walking beside us, holding us, as we struggle in our grief. There are so many secondary losses that can wreck us. Give us eyes to see Your eternal perspective and point others to the good news of the gospel, even in grief. Amen