WEDNESDAY September 4, 2024

Fulfill My Joy

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Philippians 2:1-2

Paul had another reason to write to the Philippians. In his absence, they were beginning to become divided against each other. To correct the situation, he issued a direct command––fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. They needed to be unified.

The Philippians had filled Paul’s life with joy. He was very excited about their salvation, their devotion to the Lord, and even their financial giving. They were growing in Christ, but his excitement diminished once he heard about a growing disunity among them.

Disunity causes heartache. When people are divided and not united, the body of Christ suffers. Listen, we can have our differences of opinion, but God never wants us to be divided against one another––there must be unity, not disunity.

In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul also dealt with the subject of division. If you are causing division in the body of Christ, heed his exhortation:

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought (1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV).

What kind of mind are we supposed to have? We are to have the mind of Christ––a mind of love and unity––not disunity. Many times, people cause division because they are not filled with God’s Spirit. They act according to their flesh––wanting to get their own way. They want to win. Disgruntled, they sow discord by putting other people down.

It is not a matter of who is right or wrong. There needs to be a purposeful working together in unity. Submit to God and be humble. Do you want God’s blessing in your life? Then do not divide the body of Christ.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
~Psalm 133:1~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!