Part One
Struggling Together
“We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.” Philippians 1:30
Recently, a young person made a very disturbing comment to me. This person said, “I can’t wait until this world is over.” Coming from someone who is in the prime of life, this was especially discouraging. Don’t get me wrong; I get it. I long for Heaven more every day, and I think we could all agree that this year has thrown us all for a loop. Life is just hard right now, and (not to be pessimistic) I have a feeling it’s going to get harder. Still, as long as we are here, God has a purpose for us, and He wants us to find joy.
This conversation is part of the reason why Paul’s comment at the end of Philippians 1 struck me so deeply.
“We are in this struggle together.”
But it doesn’t feel like we are very together these days, does it?
It’s not just the social distancing that separates us. It’s social injustices and social media and masks and COVID-19 and politics and more. It seems that everywhere we turn, wedges are being driven between us. Sometimes, we are the ones holding the hammer.
I am as guilty as anyone. I am just like you. I have opinions, and I like when people agree with me. I guess we all do. However, can you imagine how boring our lives would be if we all thought and acted and looked exactly like one another?
1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”
If you look close enough at this grand social experiment that we call 2020, you will see that there is a dangerous undercurrent. More dangerous than the coronavirus, more dangerous than any political fallout, more dangerous even than social injustice, is the danger of division.
“Be of one mind.”
Is that even possible when we have so much about which we disagree? The Bible says that with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it is possible because He is the glue that holds us together.
Sympathize with each other.
Love each other.
Be tenderhearted.
Keep a humble attitude.
These are the ways that we can be unified even when we disagree. This is the recipe we need to follow as we struggle together.
June 8, 2020
Dear Lord,
In a world of division and hurt and hatred, where violence and anger are on one end of our social spectrum and distance and isolation on the other, my heart yearns for Your comfort, Your companionship, and Your perfect peace. I pray that You fill me with You, that Your Holy Spirit gives me a fresh anointing of power, that I would feel what I know, that I would experience what I believe. Help me, Lord to know You better and to love You more so that, in turn, I can love others better and more. For I can only pour out that which is inside of me.
Devotional Challenge: In the coming week, read Philippians Chapter 1 every day.