Thursday
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
(Philippians 2:1-4, NIV)
Paul’s letter to the Philippians expresses his appreciation for their support during his imprisonment in Rome. After thanking them for their affection toward him, Paul encourages them to be strong in the face of persecution which was starting to spread throughout the Roman Empire. Today’s verses begin Paul’s teaching about the importance of following the servant-like attitude of Christ by imitating his humility.
As Paul describes the nature of a believer’s relationship to Christ, he summarizes the wonderful benefits of salvation which members of the church can experience: encouragement, comfort, fellowship and compassion. He then emphasizes the theme of unity among Christians, a theme he regularly addresses in his letters. To be “one in spirit and purpose” means that Christians have to consider others better than themselves. One translation of the second part of verse 3 reads as follows: “Let each one of you regard one another as more important than himself” (NASB). While Paul recognizes that care for one’s own needs is important, he strongly encourages his readers to move beyond their own self-interest by “looking also to the interests of others” (v. 4).
It is Paul’s firm conviction that Christ’s love leads to Christians living in unity and peace. He shares this thought with the Corinthians also when he wrote: “Be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (II Corinthians 13:11). If believers put their own interests first, unity and peace will never occur in the church. Like Christ who made himself “nothing” and “humbled himself” to the extent of offering his life for our sins (2:7-8), we should imitate our Lord in loving those he loves.
Prayer
Lord God, we praise you for the gift of salvation and for the benefits of being united with Christ. Help us to be united with each other “in spirit and purpose.” We confess it is hard to “consider others better than ourselves” and to look out for the “interests of others.” May we be witnesses for our Lord by imitating his humility. Amen.