Saturday Reading: Philippians 2:1-2
Key Verse: Philippians 2:2
2 then fulfil my joy, that you may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind.
Devotion:
How do you show your love and respect to your friends and family? Do you allow them to run riot and do what they like without saying anything, or do you try to encourage them to do what is right? Do you tell them when they are doing something that you do not agree with, or do you stand back and allow them to continue on in their own ways? How do you show love and respect to your fellow Christians? Do you allow them to run riot and do what they like, or do you try to keep them on the straight and narrow?
We do need to show love and respect to all of those people around us and part of that love and respect should be us being able to stand up and say what we believe to be right. That belief must not be based on our personal feelings or emotions but rather based on our Solid Rock that is Christ Jesus. Christ has shown me over the last few months that He is willing to show me love and respect but at the same time He is not going to allow me to run off and do my own things instead of upholding His Law. When we are faced with people around us who do not believe or who are weak, we are the ones who need to stand firm in the arms of our Saviour knowing that He will give us the strength to uphold the truth so that He may get the glory that He does deserve at all times.
When we read that we need to be of one mind in our Lord, it is not that we need to pacify others or placate them by bending the rules; it is that we need to all stand firm in the Word of God. We have been given the Word of God for a reason – because it is the truth and because it is what we need to base our lives on and within. I too stand corrected because I too gave in to human emotions and tried to keep everyone happy instead of standing up for my Lord and my Saviour first of all. I know how Awesome my God is because I know what He has done for me. I pray that you too will see just how much He does mean to each one of us…
Points to Ponder:
Do you really want the truth?
Are you standing by the Real Truth?