Reading from Bible :
1 THEREFORE if there is any consolation in Christ, if any
comfort of love, if any relationship of
the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 Fulfill my joy by being like-minded,
having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done
through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. 6 Who, being in the
form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 But made
Himself of no reputation, taking the form of bondservant, and coming in the
likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above
every name, 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in
heaven and of those in earth, and of those under the earth, 11 And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
--- Philippians 2: 1-11
Summary :
I love being with people…most of the time. There is
a special joy that resonates in our hearts when we are with people we enjoy.
But unfortunately we are not always with those we like to be around. Sometimes
people can be prickly, which may be why someone has said, “The more I get to
know people, the more I love my dog!” When we don’t find joy in a relationship,
we tend to blame the other person; then we excuse ourselves as we exit to be
with people we like.
The
apostle Paul asks us
to lovingly engage with brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, he call all of
us to be “of one accord,” to look out “for the interests of other,” and to “let
this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2: 2-5). Think about
it. Jesus gave up his own prerogatives and privileges for us; He chose to live
as a servant and paid the ultimate sacrifice that He might bring us into joy-filled relationship with Him (see Heb.
12:2 ). And He did all that in spite of our prickliness (see Rom. 5:8).
So next
time you are with someone who is not easy to get along with, ask Jesus to help
you find a way to extend His love. In time, you might be surprised by how God
can change your attitude about people. ---Joe Stowell
Lord, thank
you that while I was still offensive to
you,
you saved me with your sacrificial love. Give me
the
same courage and grace to extend to others the
love that you have so graciously extended to me
The key to getting along with others is having the mind of Christ
