Our lives
are conditioned by several factors such as our family, job, education, place of
living and so on. We live out everyday a conditioned life. It is important to
make sure that a Christian’s life is conditioned by God. Paul is an example for
this. Let us look at Paul’s life and see how his life was conditioned by God.
1. Condition
your life with final destiny
He was ready
to forget what is behind him. He had very prestigious background. Such background
can give him good confidence in flesh. But Paul had no confidence in the flesh
(3.4-6). He did not hold his prestigious background or position when he met Christ.
He sacrificed what was profitable to him according to the standards of the world
in order to know Christ (3.7). He was ready to lose the world to gain Christ (3.7).
His priority was to be found in Christ (3.9). He depended upon the righteousness
that comes from God (3.9) rather than self righteousness. He was like a runner
in the track. He forgot what is behind and pressed himself towards his final
destiny or goal of life (3.13-14). Our life should be conditioned by the
understanding of our final destiny through Christ rather than our past
experiences or worldly standards that we had in the past or present.
2. Conditioning
your life with godly patterns
There are
different standards and patterns in this world. Many of us are conditioned with
such patterns. The modern media gives us lot of perspectives, images and
constructions about standard way of living. Such propagandas are supposed to be
discerned by a Christian. Christian believers should be conditioned by the
patterns and standards of the spirituality or God. Paul encountered people who
lived according to the patterns of the world (3.18-19). However, he taught to his
followers the spiritual patterns through which their lives are to be
conditioned (3.17). The major motif of the spiritual pattern that should
condition our lives is that our citizenship is in heaven and we are waiting for
the coming of Jesus (3.20). This hope should condition our life.