"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from
his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? …”
Paul asks
these four questions because he realized that as Christ followers, it
is crucial that we be able to answer ‘yes’ to each one of them. Can you imagine your pastor standing up in front
of the congregation and asking your church those questions? Then he pauses for a moment before continuing:
“Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another,
and working together with one mind and one purpose. Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble,
thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in
others, too." (Phil. 2:1-4)
Would you
resolve to do as he asked or would you simply chalk it up to another good message and walk away unaffected by his pleading?
Do you love your pastor enough to make him truly happy? Aren’t our homes pleasant and
peaceful when our children are kind to each other? Don’t we teach them manners and tell them the
right thing to do is to share? Don’t we tell them to love each other? When
there is a huge chore that needs completed, isn’t it simplified when the whole family works together? When
our children are acting out the requests of our hearts…doesn’t it make us truly happy?
Can you imagine
the peace, the joy, the unity, the growth that would come to your assembly if you let those first
four verses of Philippians 2 sink deep into your soul?
Another way to say this is: “If you've gotten
anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the
Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care - then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't
push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.”
Can you do your pastor a favor? Love each
other.
