Devotions

As we serve one another, pride can rear its ugly head if we become selective about whom we will serve and where we will serve. Ego wars sometimes engage when we move from one arena of service to another. In one place we had developed strong relationships with people who appreciated our talents and abilities. But in the new arena of service, our talents and abilities may be relatively unknown; and we may not have the same kind of supportive, encouraging relationships that we once enjoyed. These can be frustrating transitions that require extra measures of love and humility from everyone involved. No matter where you are called to serve, work hard on developing strong, supportive relationships with your co-workers. Getting to know one another outside the workplace will help you learn the best ways to cooperate together inside the workplace to get tasks done most effectively. Knowing each other’s personalities will help you understand how each one will go about doing their work. Knowing each other’s gifts and talents will help you understand what they will do best. Developing wholesome team camaraderie will enable the team to move forward in unity. God’s Word gives us wisdom for every area of life. Let us learn the value of strong, committed relationships that are built on love. Those connections will form a solid foundation for effective and joyful service.

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

The Apostle Paul wrote with full knowledge of the difficulties that awaited Timothy in the ministry. Newly formed churches would face the challenge of defending the faith against false teachings. Timothy’s leadership would be called into question. New believers would face overwhelming political pressures. Serving God in a corrupt culture would become demanding and difficult. Paul also knew the internal pressures Timothy would face. “…conflicts on the outside, fears within” (II Corinthians 7:5). Every leader faces a myriad of fears: fear of criticism, fear of disappointing people, and fear of mutiny. With this in mind, Paul charged Timothy to stand strong and true. God would be faithful no matter what challenge came his way. Paul told Timothy, “The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed” (Timothy 4:17). As the Lord stood faithfully with Paul, so also He would stand at Timothy’s side and give him wisdom and strength for every situation.

Paul’s words of comfort and exhortation are words for every Christ follower today. No matter what pressures you face, the Lord stands at your side. He will not abandon you. Be faithful to endure hardships, keep your head in all situations, and follow through on the work the Lord has put into your hands. He will strengthen your soul.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus knew the days ahead would be filled with unanswered questions, confusion, and peril for his disciples. So He planted into their hearts words of faith, hope, and love which the Holy Spirit would surface in their thoughts throughout the agonizing hours before and after the crucifixion. There are times in life when nothing seems to make sense. We experience an onslaught of unexpected trials that overwhelm our hearts and leave us wondering where God is and why He is permitting such heartache. It is important that we lift our focus away from our trials and onto our faithful God who has the widest perspective on life. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows the source of our pain—if it is the result of bad, personal choices, or if it is the result of a spiritual onslaught, or if it is the unfortunate result of conditions outside our sphere of control. Better yet, God knows the solutions and the path through the problem. If we listen carefully to His word every day, He will supply wisdom and strength and everything we need to withstand any heartache that takes us by surprise. His supernatural peace comes from deep within our soul and is not dependent upon external conditions. Do you need peace today? Christ is your source and He offers it freely to you.   

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

What spiritual gifts have the Lord entrusted to you? Every Christ follower has at least one, and often more than one. Can you name your top three? Knowing our gift mixes will help us know where we can best serve and make a real difference with our lives. Then we must be faithful to engage each gift in a spirit of humility. Our goal is to glorify God and edify others so that “God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (verse 11). Finally, we must be strategic in our service. It is an insufficient goal to serve others simply because it makes us feel good or because there is a need. We must help others in ways that will add value to their life. Our goal is not to create co-dependency but to take people to a new level of personal and spiritual growth, independence and success. Every person has value, so we must stress this truth as we serve. Every person is gifted, so we must help others discover and engage their gifts. Every person can make a difference with their life, so we must use our skills to help the people we serve grow into healthy contributors rather than mere consumers. Prayerfully consider how you are serving. Do you serve so that you can feel good about your Christianity and check it off your “to-do list” of spiritual disciplines? Or are you serving in ways that are adding value to someone’s life? Let’s become more strategic in our Christian service.

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus told his disciples that if they followed His teachings they would discover truth that would lead them to freedom. God’s Word is truth, and as we are involved in an active study of God’s Word it progressively leads us into freedom and wholeness in every area of life. Because the Lord cares so much about us, He leads us through tough places which are intended to untangle us from any false beliefs that have ravaged our lives—beliefs about ourselves, others, and God. It takes real backbone to look at the realities around us and face the truth. It is easier to hide behind a label or image than to stand up and say, “I have to do better here.” But the truth sets us free to examine honestly what needs to be changed so we can progress, adapt, or discard useless weights that waste our time and energy and distract us from our goals. Sometimes we don’t have the objectivity to see what needs to change; so God sends people alongside us to speak the truth in love. They engage us in difficult conversations about behavior or character issues that may be affecting our progress at work, at home, or in our spiritual development. We should thank God for the people He sends to walk alongside us during these difficult adjustments in life. They are His messengers of hope as well as truth. When was the last time you had to face a tough reality in your life? Who walked with you through the change process? How are you different today as a result of the adjustments you made? Give the Lord thanks for His ongoing, faithful work in your life.

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.           

Those with the gift of hospitality enable, equip, and support others who serve on the front lines of ministry. Timothy helped as Paul’s dear friend and apprentice. Luke and Mark also stood faithfully as his side. Here near the end of his life, Paul asked for them to be near; and he asked Timothy to bring his cloak and scrolls and parchments. Paul did not own much, but his books and his coat were essential to his ministry. God values the practical ways we serve at one another’s side. As we open our homes to provide a hearty meal or provide a place of quiet rest and renewal, we give simple, but profoundly necessary services. We never outgrow the responsibility to care for one another. All of us are called to serve one another in love.  Stay alert to those around you who may need the comfort of your presence or some kind of practical assistance today. 

This text should challenge us to consider the effectiveness of our testimonies for Christ. Do our lifestyles negate our verbal testimonies? How do we respond under pressure? Are the fruits of the Spirit growing in us (Galatians 5:22-23)? This is the stuff of real life; where God lives and wants us to live. We must protect our faith from the tendency of human nature to degenerate into rote, religious actions that are void of God’s Spirit. We must protect ourselves from mindless carnal responses to everyday life. How we respond to the Spirit’s grooming of our innermost souls will have a direct impact upon the effectiveness of our witness to seekers around us. Consider your saltiness. Consider the intensity of your light. Who has tasted the saltiness of your witness and is developing a thirst for God? Who has seen your light shine throughout a dark, imposing trial; and as a result, has begun a fresh search for spirituality? Remember: we are the salt and the light.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (verse 10); and our actions are the vehicle for delivering God’s love to the people we serve. If we get too focused on performing perfect works instead of being agents of God’s love, we will miss the point and our default response will be to reach for quick fixes and easy answers. But when our focus is on following God, we will point people toward Him. We will seek to be channels of His presence, His word, and His life—nothing more and nothing less. God wants to use us in His Kingdom. He can do this best as we remember it is His Kingdom, not ours. Are you struggling to understand how to serve God best? Listen and follow. 

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Dr. Richard Dobbins identifies Philippians as the “mental health book of the Bible. “ Consider the Apostle Paul, who wrote these words. He was guilty of far more than most of us. Paul knew all too well the hundreds of murders he committed in the name of his religion, and the suffering he had caused so many. The ghosts of his past followed him from city to city; in his letter to his young protégé, Timothy, he referred to himself as “the worst of sinners” (I Timothy 1:15-16). He opened many of his letters with the words “grace and peace be multiplied unto you.”  Why? He knew his limitations and depended on God’s grace to carry him past them. He preached with passion about peace through Jesus Christ because he experienced it every day. Most of us can look back with shame to a time when we lived self-absorbed lives. Sometimes, it is best to quit looking back at what we were yesterday and, instead, be thankful for what we are today, in Christ, and focus on what we will become tomorrow. Are you haunted by things that happened in your past? Ask Christ to help you forget whatever you need to forget in order for you to get on with your life. Ask the Lord to help you focus forward to the good things ahead. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

The Lord loves it when His people dare to step out in faith and do something great for His Kingdom. Consider Joshua and Caleb: when they saw the Promised Land, they responded joyfully to the opportunities ahead. While others complained about the challenges, Joshua and Caleb rejoiced that God was bigger than every obstacle (Numbers 13). The Bible is replete with stories of people who heard God’s call, dared to step forward, and accomplished great things in His name. The Lord loves to inspire vision within the hearts of His servants; but will you respond? Dare to dream big. Dare to believe God for new frontiers of ministry. Let Him plant new goals within your heart. If God has inspired them, then He is able to bring them to pass as you partner with His Spirit. Ask God to empower you to do something great for His Kingdom today.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

We live our lives disconnected from most of the world; unable to identify with their pain or hardships. So it is good for those of us who are blessed with plenty to go without a meal, or sleep on a hard floor, or go barefoot from time to time.

Jesus purposefully lived among the poor. He was born in a lowly stable so that millions of others born in humble places around the world could identify with Him. He set aside the comfort and convenience of Heaven to live among us. In this verse, we read that the Apostle Paul understood the importance of enjoying every moment in Christ, no matter where it rated on the physical comfort scale. He learned to be content, and he learned that God gives strength. Have you learned these lessons? No matter what your station in life, give thanks to the God who provides for you. He will give you joy that will enable you to transcend your hardships and develop divine measures of grace.

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 

The Apostle Paul had a clear understanding of his life mission—to “preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” He held in his hand the missing puzzle piece, the single truth that completed the story of redemption. The mystery (explained in verse 6) connected Gentiles to Israel and made us one body through the Messiah, Christ Jesus. God’s plan for mankind was to provide a redeemer for the whole world through the nation of Israel. Paul’s message was simple: “Mission accomplished, Jesus is the Messiah, and redemption is now available to all people groups everywhere.” Let us remember that the Gospel story is for the whole world. Just as Paul was a “servant of the gospel,” we, too, must be diligent to engage in conversations about faith with those around us—all kinds of people, not just those who look like us.