Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 12, 2024
Philippians 2:1-11
1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, 2 complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other. 3 Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility, think of others as better than yourselves. 4 Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. 5 Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus: 6 Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit. 7 But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God highly honored him and gave him a name above all names, 10 so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Good Morning! Turn your eyes upon Jesus!
Through Christ, we become one body, one spirit. When we imagine ourselves connected in this way, we see glimpses of the beings God created us to be.
In times of stress and trouble, it is easy to lose sight of the needs of others and become self-centered as we try to survive. Sadly, many people have adopted a me-first attitude and work to serve their own needs without regard to the needs of others. This is not a new thing. Throughout history, this trend has prevailed.
Anyone who seeks power and prestige is in danger of falling into this self-preservation mode. It is easy to single out and point fingers at others, but we all have these tendencies within us. Think of those who hoarded grocery items like toilet paper and disinfectant during the recent pandemic. Of course, we remember the story of the priest and the Levite, who crossed to the other side of the road to avoid contact with the injured traveler.
When Christ came and accepted his human form, he humbled himself before all and obediently gave his life so that all who called upon his holy name could be saved. How do we avoid this innate tendency to worry about ourselves first? This is not easy, but through God’s grace, we can put aside our needs and focus on the needs of others.
A good way to start is to open our hearts to see others as Christ sees us. We look past the flaws and differences and work together to live in unity. We share lovingly all that we have with others. We do not simply give our “leftovers” to those in need, but we set aside provisions from our best “harvest.”
God of Compassion, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. When we receive your blessings, remind us to share them with others. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Despite our success, we must work to remain humble like Christ.
Help someone today! Pastor Liz
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