Approving the Things That Are Excellent

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; - Philippians 1:9-10

In Paul’s epistle on ‘joy’, he makes this prayer to God on behalf of the Christians at Philippi. He prays that their love would abound still more and more. Not that these weren’t loving people, because they were - but the love that they possessed and exhibited would overflow. Love is not biblical love unless it is rooted in the truth of the scriptures. Love must be accompanied by ‘real knowledge’ and ‘all discernment’. That means that we must have mature understanding and insight regarding God’s Word. It is much more than a wooden adherence to the Law out of sheer duty. Although strict obedience to God's commands is necessary, there is the important element of genuine heart-felt love for the things of the Lord. It is a complete, whole-hearted, sincere devotion to God and the Holy Scriptures. It is an insatiable desire to quench our thirst with the water of the Word, and we don't stop until we are filled. We are on our way to having knowledge mixed with discernment when we study the Bible as dry and thirsty people. The result brings forth much fruit – the fruit of abounding love.

Not only will we start to grow the fruit of abounding love, but now we will be able to ‘approve the things that are excellent’. This is the development of the skills of determining what is vital; deciding between good, better and best; what’s necessary and what’s unnecessary; separating the important from the unimportant. If we can develop these important skills, we are well on the path to being productive for the kingdom. But it takes a concentrated effort to protect our time well and use it for intense study, critical thinking and, of course, meaningful and fervent prayer for understanding.