Friday 14 Nov 2014

November 14: Philippians 4:2-7

Key Verse: Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Devotion:
When this letter was written to the Philippian people it was a very encouraging letter that was to reach out to all people in the church, the body of Christ. As with all gatherings, or groups of people, there are always disagreements and upsets as people try to get their own ways and begin to try to stamp their own authority on the gathering – that is just our human side coming out and one we should be recognising within ourselves before it blows up in our faces!

It was probably quite clear to people on the outside that things were not as right as they should be in the church in Philippi and this letter was to try and address the situation as soon as possible. The last thing we need in our churches is division and disagreements. There is normal disagreement which is healthy and makes us stop and think ensuring we are doing what is right and not just what we want, and then there is the disagreements that split churches because of upsets.

When we work toward the same goal of living with God’s Word in our lives we should be growing stronger together as we begin to see what is right. When we grow stronger together we tend to love each other more and that should allow us to work closer and better together. Christ came to try to forge links between us and not to break us apart. We should be doing the same to the people around us… which is not always as easy as it seems.

When we open our mouths, someone, somewhere is going to take things the wrong way if we are not careful. So thinking before we speak is vital for a congregation who want to grow together. We need to show that love toward each other that Christ reached out with. That love which binds us together is much stronger than anything, but those words we let loose can damage us and others so that we don’t want those bonds to grow. Unity is vital in any church. That unity comes from a real deep-seated love for each other.

Points to Ponder:
Do you encourage togetherness?

Are you following Christ’s example?