Devotion:
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Read Philippians 2:1-7 .
Read Philippians 2:1-7 (The Message) 1-4 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. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 5-7 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life... This is one of my favorite passages in all of the Bible, because it offers a great summary of what Jesus was all about. As his people, we seek to represent him in the world. So, it is important for us to constantly grow in our understanding of what he was all about so we can faithfully serve that purpose. The Apostle Paul was writing to a group of Christians who he obviously wants to encourage to stay united in their mission to serve Jesus. There was no better way to offer that encouragement than to simply point to the life Jesus lived among us. Everything he did and taught came out of a Spirit of humility and love. Here is another paragraph out of the first chapter of this letter, as translated in The Message. So, this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
Personal Worship Option:
Offer your own prayer, renewing your commitment to continue to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ, so that you can more faithfully represent him in your everyday life and guide others to follow him.
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