Philippians 2:1-4

Philippians 2:1-4
1)  Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion
2)  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
3) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. 
4)  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Let's look at some words in this passage:  encouragement, united, comfort, love, sharing, tenderness, compassion, joy, one, humility.  Wow, those are some good words.  We all enjoy the relationships in our lives where these characteristics are present.  Are we ourselves being this kind of person in the lives of those around us?

As we all gather together with family and friends on this day to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, often there is unrest, conflict, sadness, anger, stress, etc. Are we a part of bringing the negative to our environments or are we willing to be 'united with Christ' and therefore be able to bring encouragement, comfort, love, joy, etc.  It's tough, I mean we all see things a little bit differently don't we?  We all have our opinions and our ways of doing things.  But really what is more important getting our way or being a blessing to others?  It all comes down to our choice.

Will I chose to have to have my own way, to look out for my own interests or will I chose to be a comfort to those around me, an encouragement?  So it is easy to write what to do, but how do we really do it?

Well the Word says that I must allow myself to be united with Christ, to allow Him to bring me comfort so that I can in turn be a comfort to those around me.  There is so much more to life than stuff!  Stuff does bring ease and comfort, no doubt, but having a good relationship with the Lord and to be able to love those around you in His strength; that brings real joy, real comfort.

What is joy?  A source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; someone greatly valued or appreciated.  You know, we all love to be appreciated and delighted in; however often our days are filled with criticism and pain.   Do you realize that regardless what the people in your world say or do that you have a Heavenly Father who 'rejoices over you with gladness.  He will bring you quietness with His love.  He will delight in you with shouts of joy.  Zephaniah 3:17

That is something to give thanks for don't you think?  Think this all the way through with me.  If God rejoices over me with gladness, if He promises to quiet or calm me with His love and even goes so far as to delight in me with shouts of joy shouldn't I make that kind of effort to treat the people in my life with this same love, to endeavor to be like Christ?  How?  Well, we must begin with making sure that we are in right relationship with Christ.  Do I have any sin in my life that I need to confess to Him?  Is there any anger or bitterness that I am holding onto?  This essentially ends up hurting me more than the person with which I am struggling.  I can ask God for the strength to be kind, to be thankful, to be loving.  He will give me strength if I am truly willing to allow Him to work in and through me.  (Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.)

Do I want joy?  Do I want to express joy to others?  I definitely want others to express joy to me, to show me comfort, to encourage me.  I'm thinking it will be easier for them to show me this type response if I make it my goal to be humble, to value others above myself.  It's hard.  In my own nature I want my way, I think of myself first and yet when I do this I do not have joy, not really.  So I guess what I am getting at today on this day where it is sometimes hard to be thankful, just because we are supposed to be, when we find ourselves around people that maybe we don't get along with all that well is that we have the choice to draw strength from the Lord.  To recognize that He is joy.  He is hope.  He wants to provide for us, comfort us, rejoice over us.  Our choice.

I pray, Father, that as the God of all hope, You will fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit  (Romans 5:13) to all those we come in contact with today.  May we choose to take our eyes off our own wants, desires and opinions and be willing to express Your love to those we come in contact with.  Help us God, to be thankful.  You have blessed us with so much.  May we realize that life isn't about the things we own, hope to own or just stuff in general but about You and the people that You have put in our lives.  Begin with me, Lord.  I need You to enable me to be compassionate, encouraging, loving, to help me to value those around me that I tend to take for granted.  Please God reveal Yourself in our midst today.  Help us to be like-minded in showing Your love and Your compassion, regardless of how we may feel.