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Therefore, if there is any consolation in
Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love,
being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition
or conceit, let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also
for the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 (NKJV)
I have always loved the passage that these verses
introduce.
if there is any consolation in Christ
From time-to-time believers face difficult times where only
Jesus can guide us through the issue that causes the pain and heartache. No one is exempt from these events
of life.
if any comfort of love
When we realize God’s love is guiding us and comforting
us through difficult issues, we can relax and more clearly focus on what needs
to be done.
if any fellowship of the Spirit,
When we spend time alone with God, with Jesus and with
the Holy Spirit, we have perfect fellowship with God. These times can come at
the beginning or the end of our days, possibly both. It is during these times
that He speaks to us.
if any affection and mercy,
When we experience God’s presence in our lives, we
receive love and even undeserved love. Sometimes, He gives us love when we are
unlovely, that’s called mercy.
fulfill my joy by being like-minded,
Paul entreats his readers to not get angry when another
person has ideas that are other than ours. It happens in families, among
friends, and in the leadership of our nations. We have the responsibility to
remember that the other person may have experiences that cause them to have
those thoughts that differ from ours.
having the same love
Because we are followers of Jesus Christ, our focus
should be that we love Him. This love should overcome differences we may have.
being of one accord, of one mind,
As children of God, we should have one goal in our
hearts, to reflect Jesus as a way of expanding God’s kingdom.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition
or conceit,
I once heard someone quote Harry Truman. “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you
do not care who gets the credit. Think about that for a minute.
Let each of you look out not only for his own
interests, but also for the interests of others
In our world today, we feel a connection to people who
live near us, to people who are friends, and people who help us with our
purchases. When we hear of or see that they are in difficult circumstances, we
should respond with kindness and gentleness, giving any help or encouragement
we can.
Wonderful reminders to pray for and be kind to people we meet or people who are in authority over us. Sometimes we may feel helpless like we can't do anything about the world or country's situation, but we CAN pray, and we can be kind to those around us. "It only takes a spark to get a fire going"..."Pass it on". Have a blessed and wonderful and peaceful day and weekend.
ReplyDeletePam: Thank you for your kind thoughts. A close friend of mine always said, "You can PRAY, even if you can't do anything else." During this COVID era, that's about all any of us could do. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
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