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Scripture Reading:
Philippians 2:1-11
Changing Our Minds
In looking at
Philippians 2:1-11 we can see a call for our minds to be changed
from selfishness to being more like Christ.
There is encouragement in Christ.
There is comfort or consolation of love. There should be
fellowship in the Spirit. There should be affection and
compassion.
There is only one purpose!
Ephesians echoes this same thought in 4:4-6 There is one body
and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your
calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of
all who is over all and through all and in all. Matt 6:33 says
seek first His kingdom and His righteousness!
Philippians 2:3-4 shows how our
attitudes should be. How often do we pray or act according to
only our own interests? Many times churches, people, schools
look out for themselves first instead of others.
A voyaging ship was
wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were
able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors,
not
knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse
but to pray to God.
However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed
to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides
of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the
first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and
he was able to eat its
fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray
for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only
survivor was a woman
who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the
island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The
next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However,
the second man still
had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his
wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship
docked at his side of the
island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided
to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other
man unworthy to
receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been
answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from
heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the
island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for
them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered
and so he does not
deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one
prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have
received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for
that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
And finally we comes to the heart
of the manner of why we should act and more importantly who we
should be acting like.
Have this attitude which was also
in Christ Jesus. What was His attitude? The following verses
shows what He did.
We know He wasn’t looking forward
to what He had to endure. He prayed in the Garden “Father if it
is possible let this cup be removed from me…nevertheless not My
will but Your will be done.”
Many of us love to quote Romans
8:28 saying God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God but often times we leave off and don’t
understand the part of those who are called according to His
purposes. We think that God will work out everything for our
good thinking that means our way. Yet in the grand scheme it is
according to His purposes.
Bad situations or events may cause
us to loose hope or question God. And it is ok that we ask God
questions but in the end we must realize that there is a bigger
purpose than my happiness.
Christ had a bigger purpose then
what people thought the Messiah had for them. They expected a
earthly kingdom set up yet He was setting up a eternal kingdom
and freeing us not from the slavery of the Romans or of debt or
disease in current days (although He is able to do that as well)
but He frees us from the effects of sin not ever being able to
measure up in God’s eyes and now allowing us to have
relationship with the Father.
Let us have this attitude when we examine our own lives and
walk. No matter what may we allow Him to use us for His purposes
for His glory for helping others.
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