God wanted his children to belong to a family on earth even before they became a family in heaven. We were created by God to need and enjoy relationships with him and with other people. A lot of Scripture teaches us how to live on earth as we will one day live in heaven.

Paul taught each Christian in the Philippian church to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Imagine belonging to a church that genuinely appreciated and enjoyed the diversity of interests within its congregation. God wanted us to enjoy many things, not just the few things we find interesting ourselves. 

We are more likely to join a church that has the music we like. We are more likely to join a class on Sunday that has people who talk, think, and act like we do. We probably won’t even visit churches we know are not like us. 

Christians in the first century didn’t have those options. There was probably just one gathering of Christians in the city. Some of the members had grown up in the synagogue learning Jewish rules, customs, and behaviors.

Other members had grown up in the Greco-Roman culture and had an entirely different way of life. It was difficult for the early Christians to find common ground. And Paul told them to care about the interests of others willingly and joyfully.

Many in the early church obeyed Paul’s words, and their witness to the culture was profound. What would happen if our churches did the same thing today? Would the church become known for the way diverse people could find common ground and enjoy one another’s interests? 

Americans live in an increasingly diverse and divided country. What should we do with Paul’s advice the next time we enter any church? How can we care about the interests of others and encourage them to do the same? 

God’s priorities are wisdom. He created us to be a diverse family of faith that embraces and enjoys our variety of interests. Our witness will be strengthened if we embrace and live the wise priority that Paul taught the first-century church in Philippi. Wisdom is knowing that our interests matter to God, and so do the interests of others.