Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV)

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Explanation:

There is nothing that derails your day like an encounter with someone who tries to rob us of our joy. When Paul wrote his letter to the church at Philippi, there was a fair share of “joy robbing” going on there. As Christians, we are supposed to be loving and united, not divided. Paul explains in this passage that the greatest example of unity came from Jesus.

In this passage, Paul points out what it means to be united with Christ. When we try to think with like minds, we are unified and focused on glorifying God, but when just one person becomes selfish, it changes that focus. Jesus was always focused on His relationships in the perspective of Christ. He never used His status as the Son of God to get what He wanted — He always thought of others first. It didn’t end there, either. He not only thought of others first; He served them as well. Have you ever noticed that when you focus on putting others first, serving them becomes a natural next step?

Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice when putting others in mind. He gave His life so that we could be connected to God. Paul carried that message to everyone he met and preached to. Putting his focus on God and introducing others to God led many to be saved. As we submit to one another, we will see our faith turning into action through service and sacrifice, bringing the ultimate glory to God.

Application:

1. Are there ways that you can be more like-minded with other Christians?

2. Think about someone who has been a “joy-robber” in your life. How can you effectively re-route their joy-robbing into something more positive that glorifies God?

3. Think about the statement “submission generates joy.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Devo Plus:

Read today’s passage in The Message translation. Jot down the list of things that Paul is asking the people of Philippi to do, and the example Jesus gives us of how to bring glory to God. Keep this list with you today and look at it several times throughout the day to focus on the unity and servanthood that Paul is asking us to model.

Prayer:

Today ask God to give you a mind like Jesus: one that is focused on bringing glory to God, in serving others, with a willingness to sacrifice in the name of Jesus. Ask God for wisdom with any joy-robbers that may come your way, so that you can turn each experience into something that brings glory to the Father.

Romans 12:3 (ESV)

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Explanation:

Take a second and think about all the situations in your life where you were working for the betterment of the whole group. Maybe you were on a sports team in high school or college, or on a debate team, or played in a band. Perhaps you have worked for a business that can only accomplish its goals by working together. What was one of the main characteristics that was needed to effectively accomplish your goal? Most people would say team work…but I would say humility. Why? Whether it is winning a game or a debate, playing a music piece, or selling a product, humility is knowing who you are and recognizing what you bring to the team. Humility is also knowing what you are not, and knowing that you need others to fill your deficiencies.

When Paul thinks about the operation of the body of Christ and what it will take to make the church function how God intended it, humility sat at the top of the list of qualities to be encouraged. When we think about ourselves no better and no worse than what we are, we recognize our need for each other in order to accomplish the things God calls us to. Humility rids us of the “lone-wolf” mentality that so many American Christians tend to have, and roots us back into our need for Christ and each other for faith, salvation, and purpose.

Application:

1. Pride is something we all deal with. It can trip us up through either arrogance or self-depreciation. Which of these two forms of pride do you lean towards?

2. Why do you think humility is such an important part of being a member of the church?

3. What are some ways God is challenging you in humility?

4. What are some ways you can bring who you are to the church for the common good?

Devo Plus:

One of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis is on humility. He says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.”

Prayer:

Father, will You please keep in front of us our dependency on you. We need You to rescue us, empower us, and encourage us. Please also remind us of our dependency on each other. Thank You for putting us into a group of believers that we can call brothers and sisters, and get the help we need. Teach us to be humble and allow that humility to open us to the life and purpose You have for us within the body of Christ. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-17 (TLB)

Dear brothers, warn those who are lazy, comfort those who are frightened, take tender care of those who are weak, and be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else. Always be joyful. Always keep on praying.

Explanation:

Paul gives several commands here in this short passage. He wants us to remember that while we are here on earth, we have a responsibility to take care of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Lift them up when they need it, show them grace, be good to each other, and model patience.

I don’t know about you, but modeling patience in my own life is difficult. I find it ironic that it’s used synonymously with “long-suffering” in the Bible, because at times, being patient seems a lot like suffering, doesn’t it? Are you positively energized while waiting in line at the grocery store where there’s only one cashier, being stuck in traffic on your way to an appointment, waiting on test results or a health report to come back from the lab, or waiting for your passport renewal to show up in the mail when you leave for vacation next week?

All these things can test your patience, along with many others in our daily lives. In a world where we are used to instant gratification and answers that we find on Google, “life hacks” that we find on other social media outlets, and short cuts around traffic jams thanks to Waze and other GPS programs, patience is increasingly difficult to have. We want instant gratification to our problems and instant results when we offer to help our brothers.

Why does Paul care about us being patient with each other? Here’s the bold truth: God never loses patience with us. Not once. Every single day, He shows us grace for the times when we’ve lost our patience and not behaved in a manner that reflects Jesus to others. If we are going to help each other in the manner Paul calls us to, then we first must exhibit patience. We cannot flippantly expect those who are struggling to instantly stop struggling just because we lend a hand or pray for them. When we commit to help each other, we’re in for the long haul. Their struggle becomes one that you walk beside them for the duration, not just for the 10 free minutes you have today. It requires patience and understanding that only God can provide.

Application:

1. What are some ways that you can use your inconveniences to become more patient?

2. Think of a way in this last day, week, or month that God has been patient with you. What would that situation look like if you were in a position to be patient with someone else here on earth? Could you extend the same grace and patience to them?

Devo Plus:

Are you looking to grow your patience? Here are a few steps that you can consider to help you:

1. Read James 1:2-4 and Romans 8:18-25, 12:12. What do these say about being patient? How are hope and suffering connected to patience?

2. Write down some areas where you’re struggling with patience. Think about how those areas could be a roadblock that keeps you from loving others and God the way He has called us to. Ask God to help you to grow in these areas, and confess your weakness to Him.

3. Look for ways to invest your time while you’re waiting. Complaining isn’t one of them! 😊 Look for ways to fill that time with something positive.

4. Unplug. Get away from social media and spend some time in the quiet. Ask God what He wants you to hear in the silence.

Prayer:

God, I thank You for Your grace and patience. I thank You for the opportunities You give us to help our brothers and sisters here on this earth. Help us to overcome the “instant gratification” that culture tells us is required, and replace it with patience for the moment. Help us to turn to You to give us the patience and calming we need in our situation. Help us to remember that regardless of what we are facing, You are there beside us along the way, offering grace and hope for each day.

1 Peter 3:8-9 (NRSV)

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.

Explanation:

In this passage, Peter is reminding Christians how to live in relationship with one another. Here is what it takes to become more like Jesus in our relationships:

1. Be Unified. I think in our current culture, this is a big one. Where so much disunity is happening around us, the church should look different. Yes, we may not agree on everything, but we all have one purpose and that is to tell others the good news of Jesus so they can be saved. Don’t cause disunity, but do all you can to remain unified.

2. Be sympathetic. Make it a point to care for and listen to others.

3. Love one another. This means unconditionally, just like Jesus does.

4. Be tender-hearted. Don’t be harsh toward others; instead, show grace and compassion. Reach into the lives of others and be there.

5. Be humble. This may be the hardest one. We want to be right and we want our way, but like all things Jesus does, we need to choose to be different. Be humble, and think of others before you think of yourself.

6. Don’t repay evil with evil, but rather bless the other person. When others wrong you, choose to forgive, to give grace, and to be kind anyway.

As I look at this list, I can summarize what Peter is telling us with two words…selflessness and service. Jesus modeled this so well for us. He came to serve, He came with the purpose to share the love of God with others. And we are called to do the same. This life is not about us; it’s about being like Jesus and doing all we can for His kingdom. Why? Because we know that when we do this, when we live like Jesus and treat others as He did, we will inherit a great reward, the reward of spending eternity with God.

Application

1. Which of the six actions listed above are hardest for you?

2. What do you need to do in order to improve and be more like Jesus in that area?

3. How would your relationships look different if you chose to do these actions listed above? (be humble, sympathetic, loving, tender-hearted, unified, and repaying evil with good)

Devo Plus:

I encourage you to pick one of the six actions listed above. Seek God, and ask Him for opportunities to practice. Be mindful of these opportunities and look for ways to put that action into practice. Then I encourage you to journal your experience. How did this affect and change your relationships?

Prayer:

Jesus, we are so thankful for Your example. We want to be more like You each and every day. Give us opportunities to put these actions into practice. Help us learn ways to be more unified, humble, tender-hearted, sympathetic, loving, and forgiving. We know this is the better way, and it will cause others to see You working in our lives. As You help us, remind us that we are living for eternity, and that will be our greatest reward. To You, we submit our lives. Amen.

Romans 12:17-21 (NLT)

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Explanation:

In my lifetime, I have thankfully had very few enemies, and can usually find something to celebrate in almost everyone I meet. However, I’ve grown to realize that I have a keen sense of justice, which has gotten me into trouble more times than I can count! When I’m personally wronged, I can treat the person with love, but almost always walk away carrying the hurt of it inside of me. If something harms my husband, children, or loved ones, the choicest words of righteous anger will suddenly rise to the surface and only the power of God can make me swallow them! I can’t handle much of the daily cycle of bad news, either; as the injustices in the world mount up, so does my inner frustration and angst.

One thing that is unique to humans out of all the animal kingdom is that we are made in God’s image, and we can differentiate between good and evil, between just and unjust. It bothers us as humans when we see injustice in the world, and the evil we encounter around us is rightly disturbing. We instinctively know this is not how God intended the world to be, and we have an inner longing for justice and goodness to prevail. If we’re not careful, this longing can cause us to continually struggle in our own power to correct the wrongs we see, or carry around inside of us the hurt and pain of the injustices we encounter daily. An invisible weight of frustration can weigh us down in the spirit, one we might not even realize is present until we react to others in ways we never thought we would.

This passage calls us to a high standard. It is an appeal for us to leave all the decision making at the feet of the one and only righteous Judge. When we step in to try to fight our own battles, there is no room for Him to fight them for us. It takes a deep faith in God’s ability to make things right for us to actively choose to do good when faced with wrong. It takes the active washing of the Holy Spirit inside of us to let go of all anger and frustration, and to continually move forward in honor and love. On this side of eternity, we will be faced with evil, injustices, unfairness, and wrongs. Recognize that your longing for justice comes from the Righteous One, and allow Him the room to work inside and outside of you!

Application:

1. Reflect on some things that really bother you or rile you up. How do you usually respond?

2. Have you been actively conquering evil with good? Note some instances recently where you encountered a wrong, and brainstorm some ways you could’ve responded better.

3. Is there any frustration or pain from previous wrongs you’ve been harboring in your heart? Allow the Holy Spirit to show you the areas you need to surrender to His goodness.

Devo Plus:

Let worship be your burial ground today. Choose 4-5 of your favorite worship songs and spend an extended time in worship. Allow the Holy Spirit to sift your heart and lift away any battles you’ve been trying to fight that really belong to Him.

Prayer:

Good morning, heavenly Father! Thank You for this new day, and this new opportunity to live better for You! Father God, You are the righteous Judge and Lawgiver, the God of vengeance. You alone have the ability to right all wrongs and bring about true justice in this world we live in. Let Your powerful arm of justice be released in my life, Lord! I give you my heart-felt burdens today, the things that trouble me, and the burdens of unfairness I have experienced. Help me to give them to You today so You can carry them for me, and fight my battles for me. Help me to overcome evil with good that flows from You. Amen.

Romans 12:14-16 (NIrV)

Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not curse them. Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad. Agree with one another. Don’t be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Don’t think that you are better than others.

Explanation:

In Romans 12, Paul is explaining how to be like Christ. Parts of this scripture are easy to do, but others are hard to act on. The easier actions are having compassion for people, being joyful in fun situations, and crying with friends when they have had a tough day. The hard things are blessing people who hurt you, especially when retaliation or vengeance always seem to be how the world says to protect yourself.

Jesus wants us to live in harmony with each other. When He walked this earth, He knew people didn’t like Him, yet He showed love to those people and told them about God. His actions and the way He treated people made people want to follow Him. Our actions can also make people want to follow Jesus, or even have the opposite effect. That is such a harsh reality we have to face every day. I don’t want my actions and decisions to cause people to run away from Jesus. Instead, I want people to ask:

“What is different about her?”

“Why is she peaceful in the middle of the storms of her life?”

“Why is she being kind to someone who was rude to her?”

“Why is she always trying to include everyone?”

The only way I can do all of that is by being in constant conversation with God. We need to go to Him first, before we seek others’ advice. Then we are giving God the situations first, because we can’t go through life on our own. Ask God to open your eyes to people today who need someone to love them like Jesus.

Application:

1. Is there someone who isn’t treating you right or is annoying, and you have decided to write them off? Take it to God. Ask Him to give you His perspective for them.

2. Who are you not speaking to or including because you feel a little better than them? What should you change today about that?

3. Is there someone God is asking you to reach out to, rejoice with, or pray for? What is stopping you from doing that?

Devo Plus:

But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. (Matthew 5:44 NIrV)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for always loving me and showing me examples of how to treat others even when it is hard. Help me today to look different than I usually do. Give me the grace and compassion for others. Thank You for always loving me! Love You, Father! Amen.

Ephesians 4:31-5:2 (NASB)

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Explanation:

This is a passage of contrasts. A contrast of the sins of our hearts, and what God’s heart is and what He wants ours to be.

We are shown here that we are bitter, wrathful, angry. We clamor, slander, and have malice in our hearts. But God is kind, patient, compassionate, forgiving, and loving…and He wants to shape these qualities into our hearts and our actions.

In this passage, we are told to be kind. We are told to choose not to be bitter when someone does us wrong. Not to be wrathful or seek to return a harm. Not to clamor or slander those we dislike. Rather, we are to be kind as God was kind to us, forgiving our mountain of wrongs against Him, by what Jesus did on the cross. But that isn’t easy.

The first list comes naturally to us. Even as children, we are not taught to be selfish; we just are, it is our nature. It seems natural to us to be bitter, wrathful, angry, to clamor and slander. Paul points those things out to us in this passage, and says we must no longer do them.

But the second list takes faith in Christ. Once we are saved, we are able to recognize our nature, and we are given the ability to work against this nature. One of the ways to motivate us to put on these new behaviors is to focus on what Christ has forgiven us. Jesus used the parable of the ungrateful servant to be this reminder. The ungrateful servant was forgiven an amount he could never repay, forgot about that forgiveness, and then wouldn’t forgive the small amount someone owed against him. It reminds us that we have been forgiven a mountain, and must then be willing to forgive even a molehill against us.

Application:

1. All these things go against our nature, and change will only come about by effort on our part. What is one thing you can do today that will help you take a step toward being kind like Christ?

2. Have you recognized any of the sinful behaviors listed in today’s passage in your life?

3. How does focusing on the mountain of debt we have been forgiven make it easier to forgive others?

Devo Plus:

Read Matthew 18:23-35 and Ephesians 4:17-30.

Prayer:

Lord, please help me to see all that is in my heart. Help me to see the mountain of sin against You that I have done, yet You have forgiven me. Help me to remember all of that as I deal with others in my daily life.

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NLT)

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Explanation:

As Christ followers, we can trace the call on our lives back to the Great Commission—the command of Jesus to preach to the lost, and disciple those who also respond to the call (Matthew 28:18-20). Paul lets us know we could pay a heavy personal price, as he did, to live it out successfully.

If the church body does not function in love, then it cannot reflect Christ’s love to a spiritually dry world. That’s why the attributes mentioned here—patience, humility, gentleness–center around how we interact with others. However, for the church body to love one another and focus on a common cause, each member of the body must have peace—the kind of peace that comes only from an abiding relationship with God. If peace is what binds us, then a lack of peace can divide us. When I’m out of sorts spiritually, it doesn’t take much to rattle me, and then I tend to withdraw. But when the individual house is in order, the church body is in order, and united we can fulfill our call to reach, preach, and teach this perishing world about God’s love.

Paul considered this call worthy of the chains he endured. Should we not approach kingdom work with the same conviction?

Application:

1. How important to you is being at peace with God? How important is being at peace with those around you?

2. What do you do when that peace is disrupted?

3. Is it possible to always be humble, gentle, and patient without spending time daily with God?

Devo Plus:

Colossians 3:15

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I pray You would keep me in perfect peace as I live out the call on my life to be the hands and feet of Jesus to everyone I know and everyone I meet. Amen.

Revelation 21:9-14 (ESV)

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Explanation:

One of the angels approaches John to give him a glimpse of the new holy city. Not a restoration of old Jerusalem, but a new, pure, and protected kingdom. The old Jerusalem would have been full of pain, suffering, mourning, and strife. The prophets were stoned and beaten in this Jerusalem. But the new Jerusalem is revealed as a safe place for the worshippers of Christ. The city is protected with enormous walls and gates. The 12 apostles’ names on each of the foundations entering the new kingdom represent the peace and safety within the walls. It is a Jerusalem designed specifically for believers. Heaven on earth.

The angel described it as “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb,” painting the picture of a bride who is joined as one with her groom, which of course, is Jesus. I think about a bride on her wedding day and how she presents herself in a vibrant white dress to her soon-to-be husband. She is flawless and pure, commanding the attention of all those present, radiating with beauty. The new holy city’s beauty is beyond understanding of anything John had witnessed, the glory of God radiating from it as it descended. He does his best to offer a description that would help others understand what he saw by comparing it to precious materials such as gold and jasper. But he says to imagine them as clear, which neither would normally be.

From midway through Genesis 3 up to the events starting Revelation 20, the earth has only experienced—and is still experiencing—the presence of sin and death. Starting in Revelation 21, John gets to see what God has been preparing to restore earth to its original glory…one without evil, sin, and death.

Application:

1. God promises us that He is preparing a place for us. One without sin and death. Are you preparing, too?

2. What are some things you know God is calling you to obey, and you haven’t taken the steps yet?

3. Start your day with committing it fully to the will of God. Ask for the confidence to walk in faith and to do the things He is commanding you.

Devo Plus:

Spend extra time in worship and prayer. Fully commit yourself in obedience to God.

Prayer:

God, Your heart and love for us is beyond our understanding. Our glimpses into Your presence are only a taste of what You are desiring for us in eternity. I ask You for peace in understanding Your will, and courage to walk in obedience so we can spend eternity with You! Amen.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Explanation:

In the above passage, the prophet Isaiah is speaking about the Messiah. It describes a child with authority and power who will be born many years from the time Isaiah prophecies. The prophet names this baby Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, showing that He is no ordinary child. These titles can only explain Jesus, the King of Kings, who was not like anyone else who has ever walked the earth. During His life, Jesus gave wise advice, forgave sins as only God could, was a protector for the weak, and provided peace for those who trusted Him.

Isaiah clearly links this child with the linage of King David and the tribe of Judah, so the Israelites would recognize and prepare for when God will usher in His kingdom. God wants His chosen people, the Israelites, to understand through prophecy that He will send Jesus, His Son, who will take away their sins for good. The sacrificial system of the Israelites will no longer be needed because of this one-time sacrifice Jesus will make (Isaiah 53). Once Jesus dies, God resurrects His body three days later, showing His power over death. And those who believe shall live with Him in His kingdom for all eternity.

Jesus came all those years ago for you, so you can be in relationship with the Father. You have to make the decision to follow Him; it isn’t forced. Jesus wants to be in relationship with you, and when you choose Jesus, it is the greatest choice in your life!

Application:

1. Isaiah 9 is often read at Christmas time because of its reference to the birth of the Messiah. It’s an amazing reference of Jesus in the Old Testament. What other times have you read the Bible and seen Jesus in the OT?

2. Jesus has many titles throughout scripture, such as Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace. How can knowing who Jesus is help you in difficult situations?

3. Have you made the decision to follow Christ? If not, what is stopping you?

Devo Plus:

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:32-33, ESV)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You are the same…then, now, tomorrow, and forever. Thank You for being constant in my life, and wanting to always be in relationship with me. Help me to trust You and tell others about what You have done in my life. Love You, Lord Jesus!