Welcome to the PoG Blog!
Thank you for taking the time to let God speak to you through the words of our scripture verse for the day. Please pray for God to open your heart and mind to what He has in mind for you for the next few minutes.
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.
As I think about the times in my life when I have been wrapped up in power plays and struggles, verse 3 of the reading above hits at what I think are the roots of the problem – selfishness and vanity. Especially selfishness. When we are looking out for our own self-interests, it seems like it is so easy for us to get wrapped up in trying to “make it happen” or get our way.
God is calling us to completely turn things upside-down and place the needs of others before our own needs. How are we ever going to pull that off?
I think St. Paul hints at this in verse 1. As we feel encouragement from being united with Christ we will be motivated and equipped to place the needs of others before our own needs. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will be excited about the opportunities God places before us to live selfless, rather than selfish lives!
What do you think? What do you feel is at the root of the power plays you get involved in?
May God bless your day,
Mark