Today's Reading: Philippians 1:21-18

Philippians 1:18 -What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.

This is a very interesting passage given todays politically divided climate. In the Church there is a tendency to question each others "Christianity" based on the particular candidate or ideology they support. There are those who are perhaps not sincere in their self-identification as Christian, but Paul here, as the one who is supposed to defend the Gospel, rejoices in both the sincere and the not sincere, as long as Christ is being proclaimed.  But wait ... What?
If we are not sincere, then aren't we doing great harm to the cause of Christ?
Well, if that was possible, maybe, but I think we think too much of ourselves.  First, Christ will be victorious with or without our support.  Second, we are probably over estimating our own sincerity. Yes, I think that we are probably more concerned with the spec in the other's eye and missing the plank in our own.  Paul rejoices when Christ is proclaimed.  It is our own folly that suggests that we are exclusively worthy to be the ones to proclaim it.
The reality is we are all sinners and Christ died on account of the sin of each of us.  So none of us is really "worthy".  So next time we question a Christian brother or sister's Christianity, maybe we should take a step back and realize that we are with them, and then rejoice that Christ is being proclaimed.

Heavenly Father, by your Holy Spirit, guide my thoughts and actions such that I learn to rejoice with Paul and not think more highly of myself that I should.  Amen