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Devotions based on week 9 of Joy in the Journey: Peace (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 

Can’t we all get along?

Most people don’t like conflict, but we often find ourselves in the middle of it.

It happens for legit reasons and sometimes we don’t even know why.

It happens in our workplaces, our homes and even in the church.

We have different opinions.

We have different ministry ideas.

We have different priorities.

We have different understandings of God’s Word of truth.

While differences can be very healthy and good, when differences become divisive between people, the difference matters.

Difference divides people.

Differences detract from ministry.

Differences take time to resolve.

So Paul says, “I plead…”

We don’t know what was happening between Euodia and Syntyche, but the Spirit probably chose to leave it vague to allow us to apply it to every disagreement we have between people in the family of God.

Take time to resolve it!

When there is a difference of opinions, let go of judgment and embrace curiosity to understand the opinion of the other person.  You may have more in common than you do difference.  You may realize you want the same thing, but just have stated it differently.

When there is a difference of ministry ideas, perhaps the opportunity is to ask the question together, “What is best for the advancement of the Gospel?”  Sometimes our personal preferences and ideas are held onto with too much vigor at the detriment of what is best for the ministry of the Gospel.

When there is a difference in priorities or ways of doing things, often just a conversation enables open sharing and engaging a meaningful discussion to get on the same page.

When there is a disagreement on some doctrinal matter based on Scripture, it is important to sit down with the Word of God and let the Word settle the question.  Engaging another Christian leader or pastor may be helpful to settle the matter.  All having a humility before the Word is important to allow the Word to settle the disagreement.

Agreement comes “in the Lord.”

When we let go of personal pride, arrogance, hurt and disappointment we can allow the Lord’s truth, forgiveness and grace to restore relationships.

And when we agree “in the Lord” the agreement is well founded and the work of the Gospel can move forward.

 

Apply: Do you have a disagreement with someone within your church?  Paul pleads with you to agree with them in the Lord!  What is one step you can do before you see them again to begin to resolve the disagreement?

Prayer: Lord, forgive my pride, arrogance or whatever else Satan is using to cause disagreement between me and a brother or sister in Christ.  Let your grace, humility and love be foundational to work to resolve the disagreement and restore unity between us.  AMEN.

Devotions based on week 9 of Joy in the Journey: Peace (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! 

When you care deeply about a person, you don’t want to lose the relationship with that person.

To be sure, there are many things that can work to separate people and cause division between them, however, Paul encourages the most important thing that binds Christians together: stand firm in the Lord.

But it’s not an empty encouragement.

If you are going to stand firm, you want to make sure you have something solid on which to stand.

What precedes in chapter three forms the basis of Paul’s encouragement:

“That is how you should stand firm.”

So what is “that”?

Three things:

First – consider all things less important than knowing Christ.

Philippians 3:8 But even more than that, I consider everything to be a loss because of what is worth far more: knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have lost all things and consider them rubbish, so that I may gain Christ…

Second, prioritize and put forward every effort to take hold of all that for which Christ has taken hold of you:

Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet, but there is one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

And third, remember your citizenship is in heaven.

Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 By the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body.

The last thing Paul wanted to see happen is one of those he deeply cared about be lost from their connection with Christ.  He knew that Satan would be working hard to separate them from the love of Christ.

So he gives that direction to do all he can to avoid losing those he deeply cares about.

The same is true for us.

Are you looking for what it takes and what it means to stand firm in the Lord?  Do you want those around you who you deeply love and care about to do the same?

These three things are true for us.

Prioritize Christ in every aspect of your life.

Be willing to make every effort to reach the goal of heaven and enjoy God’s blessings along the way.

Keep your heart and mind focused heavenward, your citizenship is in heaven.

That is how you will stand firm in the Lord!

 

Apply: Which of the three areas listed is an opportunity for you?  How might you, with the Lord’s help improve that area and strengthen your stand with the Lord?  Take time to reach out to someone you care about and encourage them to stand firm in the Lord – use one or more of the three encouragements.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us friends who care deeply and encourage and guide us in standing firm in our relationship to you.  Keep away from us all temptations that would divide and distract us from our connection with you.  AMEN.

Devotions based on week 9 of Joy in the Journey: Peace (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! 

The bond was tight.

Look at the words that are used.

“My brothers…”

“Whom I love…”

“Whom I long for”

“My joy”

“My crown”

“Dear friends”

The connection Paul had with the Philippian Christians was much deeper than “belonging to the same church.”  The relationship was built much stronger than “we can spend one hour together.”  The place the Philippians had in Paul’s heart was deep.

How many people can you say this about?

Your spouse?  Your children?  Your best friend?  Your coworkers? Your fellow church members?

It’s quite a list.

It’s quite a description of relationships built on something stronger than a common interest or a passing interaction.  This is the reflection of one who has been touched by the grace of God and has felt and experienced it with others.  Look at this list again…

“My brothers”…because we share the same Father:

Galatians 3:26 In fact, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 

“Whom I love” because I have been loved:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

“Whom I long for…” because he was the object of Christ’s heartfelt longing for him:

Acts 22:14 “Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear the sound of his voice. 15 For you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 

“My joy…” because he knew the joy of being the lost sheep that was found!

Luke 15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.

“My crown…” from one on whom the crown of mercy and compassion was placed

Psalm 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—

3  who pardons all your guilt, who heals all your diseases,

4  who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with mercy and compassion,

5  who satisfies your life with goodness, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

“My friend…” of one who knew he was a friend of God!

John 15:14 You are my friends if you continue to do the things I instruct you. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

The bond that Paul felt for the Philippians is the bond that he knew and experienced with his Savior.  It’s a bond that only God’s people can have, enjoy and share.

Apply: Consider your relationships with people.  How many of these phrases would you use for that person?  How might your relationship with the Lord be strengthened to strengthen your relationships with others?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for having a caring, meaningful, personal relationship with me.  Enable me to show similar to the people in my life so they might see you! AMEN.

Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. 

I have only visited a foreign country. For the few days that we were there, we were able to learn a few phrases that enabled us to catch a bus, find a bathroom, or buy some food.  We felt at times a bit out of place and regularly had to try to find someone who understood and spoke English to help us out.

When you are in a foreign country, you know you are not a citizen there.  It is not home.

For those that live for a longer period of time or make the commitment and move to a foreign country, eventually the language, the customs and the way of life become familiar.  Perhaps at some point one applies to the country for citizenship to participate in all the legal benefits and responsibilities of being an official citizen of that country.

Paul uses this picture to describe the ultimate shift in our heart and mind as we “forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.”

He wants to move our thinking from being a citizen of this world to a citizen of heaven.  He wants the heart and mind and word of God to be the normal, not feel weird and out of place.  He invites us into all the blessings and privileges of being a citizen of heaven and challenges us to let go of the appeal and trappings of this world.

Instead of chasing after with eagerness all the things this world has to offer, we eagerly await all the blessings that come from being gifted the status of citizen in heaven.  Paul lists two key things we have to look forward to.

Seeing Jesus face to face.

The one we have read about, heard about and placed our trust in will finally be a reality that we can see with our own eyes.  The one that we know in part will be known to us in full.  It’s like 100x the excitement of meeting a celebrity you have admired but not met, is seeing Jesus the one we praise but have not met in person.

Our lowly bodies will be transformed like his glorious body.

What will this be like?  We can compare notes when we get there.  But we know that our earthly bodies are affected by sin and the consequences of it.  We get sick.  We have pain.  We have suffering and eventually we die.  We are bound by physical limitations and have to sleep, eat and exercise to maintain our bodies.   Revelation 21:3-4 captures this reality: 

3 And from the throne I heard a loud voice that said, “Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.”

It’s no wonder Paul desires us to shift our citizenship from earth to heaven.  The blessings are many and the full experience of the goal is glorious.

So forget what is behind and strain to what is ahead…the fullness of citizenship in heaven!

 

Apply: Be intentional today about embracing being a citizen of heaven.  How does it change your interactions at work, with your family, or with your friends?  What barriers get in the way of embracing your citizenship in heaven?  Use the Word and the work of the Spirit to move your heart from attachment to earth to the anticipation of heaven!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of citizenship in heaven.  Thank you for providing your Son to do all that was needed to secure our home in heaven.  Keep my heart and mind always grounded in my citizenship in heaven!  AMEN.

Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)

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Philippians 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 

Spiritual growth is a spiritual battle!

Every Christian will probably agree with the statement, “I want to grow spiritually.”

However, not all would agree with the statement, “I am growing spiritually.”

Wanting and doing are two different things.

Like with every goal we might set, setting the goal is the easy part.  Actually accomplishing it is the difficult part.  Losing weight means daily discipline to eat the right thing and get adequate exercise.  Graduating debt free from college means discipline in spending and curbing impulse outings with friends.  Building greater intimacy and romance in your marriage means investing in your spouse on a daily basis.

But each one of these has obstacles that get in the way…most of them from our own mind, our own narratives, our own weaknesses.

Just one brownie, just one concert with friends, just one moment of selfishness and the goals we set are challenged.

Spiritual growth is, as Paul wrote, like an athlete training for competition.  It’s easy to WANT to win the race.  It’s hard to actually WIN the race.

To add to it, Satan is working hard on every Christian who desires to grow spiritually to get them to give up, question the value, or simply to get them to feel its too hard and not worth it.

Paul saw people give up on growth.  But it wasn’t just growth, they were giving up on the goal, heaven.  With tears he points out what is happening.  It was emotionally hard for him.  But his heart for people leads him to write what was happening…so we can know the enemy and with God’s help over come his lies and temptations.

What gets in the way of growth?

We dismiss forgiveness in Christ and live in guilt. An “enemy of the cross of Christ” is one who moves away from the saving grace of Christ and to his own effort and performance.  This shift leads one to self-centered pride or deep despair.  Going at heaven on our own will leave us way short.  Satan wants us to oppose the cross.  The Spirit invites us to live in the joy of full and free forgiveness found in the cross.

A second thing that gets in the way of growth is living for personal pleasure or personal prestige.  Our goals become simply to build our pride or build our prestige.  These may be satisfying in the moment, but always leave the appetite for more.  Satan loves to lead us to think the time we are reading the word, in church, or fellowshiping with other Christians has minimal value compared to investing all your time in career, running your kids to any and every extracurricular event or trying to gain the sales person or parent of the year award.  Paul points out that Satan loves to get us to be driven by our stomachs and propelled by self-promotion.  All of these take us away from what matters most, growing in the grace and truth of Jesus and his Word.

The third thing that gets in the way is the earthly mindset and cultural pressures that surround us.  In many ways the Christian faith and life runs contrary to much of what the world proposes.  Satan leads us to believe that the ways of the world are more acceptable than the Word of God.  He gets us to believe that following the ways of the world will gain us more friends, more wealth, and more happiness.  It’s a lie as nothing of this world carries the benefits and blessings as walking as a child of God each and every day.

So don’t buy the lies.  Satan will seek to get us away from “straining to what is ahead” and get us focused on everything but Christ.

Seek the Spirit of God to discern the deceptions and stay focused on the heavenly prize!

 

Apply:  What are you glorifying that is only focused on yourself or worldly ambitions?  How can you ensure you are shaped by the cross rather than your cravings?  Take a moment today to ask God to shift your mind and your heart. To live as a friend of the cross is to live with eternity in mind.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross that saves me from myself. I confess that I have often chased after comfort, pride, and earthly things. Forgive me for living with a shallow focus. Fix my eyes on You. Lift my heart to long for heaven. Teach me to glory in grace, not shame, and to live as a true friend of the cross. In Your name, Amen.