Key to Unity

Philippians 2. The church faces many dangers in this day and age, from materialism, to worldliness, to spiritual apathy, to indifference, to compromise and pragmatism. But another danger that has always threatened the Body of Christ is the lack of unity. Satan will sow discord, disharmony, and conflict in a church and thus reap division.

The church at Philippi, for the most part, was theologically sound, but we gather from 4:2 that there was some dissension within the church. So Paul begins this chapter by encouraging them to live in unity with one another. And the key to unity is humility, and the key to humility is to be like-minded and to serve others, rather than being selfish and preoccupied with self. Then Paul holds Christ up as our greatest example of humility--He was willing to come and die on a cross for our benefit.

Two valuable lessons to take away from this chapter:
1. Unity comes when you put others above yourself and care for their needs.
2. Christ humbly sacrificed Himself for the good of others, and you are called to follow His example.
Prayer:
"Lord, I want the same harmony for believers today that Paul wanted for the Philippians. Lord help me keep egotistical desires out of the picture, and keep me from selfishness. Help me Jesus to regard others as better than myself, and keep me from thinking only of my agenda. Jesus, I want the same attitude toward others, as You showed by Your example of humility. You humbled Yourself to become a man and was obedient to the point of death, death on a cross just for me. Jesus help me to humbly sacrifice for others as You did for us. In Your name I pray, Amen."