Friday, August 16, 2013

It's not just the actions, it's the attitude

Philippians 2 - - THE SUBMISSIVE MIND  or  PEOPLE ROB OUR JOY

vs 1 - 2

"If there be therefor any consolation in Christ . . .
      if any fellowship of the Spirit . . .
            if any bowels and mercies . . .

{then} Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

The Bible is full of if/then statements.  God lets us know exactly what the conditions of certain situations will be.  IF you want this . . . THEN you must do that.  IF you do this . . . THEN you can count on this outcome.

Paul has been instructing us to keep our eyes off of the circumstances around us because that can rob our joy.  Now he moves on to say "if there is any support found in Christ . . . "  IF I take my eyes off of my circumstances and keep them on Christ, THEN I have Him supporting me and I will be strengthened.  IF my circumstances are hard but I keep my eyes on Christ, THEN I will have the comfort of His love.  IF there is any fellowship or communication between my heart and the Holy Spirit Who is God living in me, THEN I am never standing alone.  IF there is any affection and sympathy available to soothe me, THEN I will not be cast down.

There is so much healing and comfort available to us through the Holy Spirit.  He is God and He lives in me.  The description of God the Father is often that He is a holy judge that guides us to do right and punishes when we do wrong.  The description of Christ is often that He was the embodiment of God Who gave us something tangible to see and touch and help us see God's personal love to us.  The Holy Spirit is the part of God that lives deep in our hearts and comforts those deep hurts and loneliness that no one else can soothe.  If we need to feel support and affection and healing, we must turn to Him Who is so close to us that He is within us.

Then Paul says that IF we seek all these positive things to buoy us up THEN we will complete his joy.  Sitting in prison, waiting for a probable death sentence, Paul says that the one thing that could "top off" his joy is for this church to depend on Christ for their support and affection.  He further explains that to have this kind of joy we must all have the same love, have the same ambition, and be working for the same goal.  The gospel cannot be effectively shared by Christians who are fighting amongst themselves or striving for personal attention or reward.

Verses 3 and 4 develop this a little further.  "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory . . . "  If we are competing for the approval of man in our service or constantly trying to outdo someone else, we are not going to have the joy of those who have their eyes on Christ.  "Let each esteem others better than themselves."  There were obviously some very petty quarrels going on in this church.  When we focus on ourselves and what we think should be happening, we obviously shift our focus away from the gospel.  Humans cannot truly focus on more than one thing at a time.  Things can be going on all around us that we are aware of, but we can only focus on one thing.  If I were to focus on who got the most or the biggest hugs from others as we come together, I am NOT focused on the gospel or on ministering to my fellow Christians.  But if I set aside my petty personal "feelings" I will be far more concerned about those around me and I will be able to minister to them more effectively and much more genuinely.

So far this has been an conversational letter from Paul to his dear friends.  He is speaking from his heart and having a talk with them.  Verses 5-11 have a very different style.  Paul here encapsulates the humanity/deity of Christ.  Think about Christ the Son of God standing at the throne of Heaven.  He is holy and regal.  The angels adore and worship Him.  They are not horsing around when they are in His presence, so to speak.  They are reverent and willing to do anything He might ask of them.  He is "high and lifted up."

But then think of him as a human who had dusty smelly feet and needed a bath.  Think of him needing to blow His nose because of the dusty roads.  Think of Him getting down on His hands and knees with a bowl of water and some rags to wash the dirty smelly feet of His disciples . . . all of whom had their own faults and failures.  The job of washing the feet of guests was the job of the lowest servant in the household.  Not the fine butler who stood nearby and waited on the table making mealtime effortless.  Not the housemaid who polished the fine vessels of the home which brought compliments from guests.  Not the cook who could impress everyone with their hard work and produce succulent dishes that sustained weary bodies or exotic dainties that impressed the eyes and the palette.  No, the job of washing the dusty stinky feet of everyone else in the house and any guest who came to the home was reserved for the lowest of the servants.  As people entered the home they would be talking and visiting.  They would take off their sandals at the door.  They would sit down and this servant was expected to come in and wash their feet without calling attention to themselves, without joining in on any conversation going on, without making faces or turning up their nose.  They were to do their job in such a way that they were not even noticed and it was just taken for granted that the job was done.

Jesus Christ, the holy Prince of Heaven, not only came to earth and was limited by a body of flesh and blood, but He also went to the farthest extreme of humbleness and service that there was in His day.  He had these disciples with Him for His entire ministry.  He knew them inside and out as a human and as God.  He had heard their grumbling out loud and in their hearts.  He had settled arguments among them about who would be sitting on His right hand in Heaven.  He knew that one of them would betray Him and the others would desert Him during the hours His earthly heart would need them most.  And yet He washed their stinky smelly feet.  What love.  What peace.  Even Christ Himself did not let the petty actions of those around Him shift His focus away from God's plan.  How do you think those guys felt as they sat and realized that Christ was going to make His way around the whole room and wash each of their feet instead of having the servant do it.  We can read the phrase "Jesus washed their feet" in about one second. But slow down and let your imagination really see how long this would take.  It took time and love and humility.

What is God speaking to your heart about right now?  Is there someone you are jealous of?  Is there someone you are silently competing with?  Are you comparing and trying to measure things that are of no real importance?  You will not have joy if you are focused on the people around you.  We must have a submissive heart that will do whatever God tells us to do, even if no one ever notices or cares.  There is joy in serving Jesus!

SONG:  There is Joy In Serving Jesus





2 comments:

  1. Dear sweet daughter-in-law,

    I continue to read your blogs ever week as posted but do not make a comment each week. I think you are doing a wonderful work and you are such a compliment to your husband. Keep us the good work.

    Please keep us posted as to the condition of your dad who is in the hospital.

    Bud White

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  2. Dear Dad-in-law,

    Thank you for your encouragement! It means so very much to me.

    Missi

    ReplyDelete