“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)
Life is hard. That’s why it is so important to be a part of
a local church body. Anyone who has ever
gone through a hard time, and has through that time felt the compassion and
support of their local church can testify to the tremendous help and
encouragement they’ve felt through that time.
In any given week, someone may be dealing with health issues of their
own or of a close family member, there may be a job change/loss, there can be
tensions in family relationships, death, divorce, misunderstandings, gossip,
jealousy, and I’m sure anyone reading this could list twenty more things. The church is not immune to problems like
these because they are part of our human existence. I say that not to minimize anything anyone is
going through, just to say that, in general, life a various points along the
way is hard.
So what is the answer? There is no simple or easy answer to the long
list of things we will have to go through in our lifetime. But when we know that there is someone who
will let us spill our guts to them, and not be judged by them, or to commit to
help pray for us through a difficult spot, or to just be there with us, is a
great help. Sometimes, it’s not
something special that someone said along the way, it’s that they were there
along the way, helping to bear our burden just by being there with us through
it.
That’s at least part of what Paul is
writing about to the Philippian church in this passage. If we are Christians, (united with Christ),
if we are comforted by the love He has shown us, if we have the Holy Spirit
living within us, if we have learned tenderness and compassion through our
relationship with Christ, then live into that by being united in mind, in love,
in spirit and in purpose. Don’t just
look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Sometimes the best therapy for being
lonely or down is to set our sights on helping someone else. When we are extending genuine compassion to
others because of what they are going through, sometimes our problems seem to
fade into the background, and we are blessed by being a blessing to
others. I can’t tell you how often I’ve
made a visit or had a conversation with someone that I hope to cheer up or
encourage, and found myself leaving that occasion being encouraged and blessed
myself.
Life is hard. If you’ve not found that true just yet, count
yourself fortunate for now, and don’t be overwhelmed when it comes, because it
is common to our existence here on earth.
The uncommon thing is how the church can be a source of support,
encouragement, love and compassion when the church is truly extending the love
they’ve received from their relationship with Christ, and passing it along to
others who need that shoulder, that gentle hug, that kind word.
Paul is really just calling us to be
an extension of Christ’s love in this world.
Not because someone deserves it, but because they need it. One day you’ll need it, and you’ll be glad to
know its there for you too.
By
His Grace Alone,
Pastor
Bruce Jacobsen
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