From Mark R

Philippians 4:1-3

Prayer :

Lord, thank You for Your Word and for speaking to us through it. Please help us to hear Your Voice today. Amen

One of the differences between our modern Bibles and ancient versions of the Bible is that ancient versions didn’t have chapters and verses.

The chapter divisions we commonly use today were developed by Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury. Langton put the modern chapter divisions into place in around A.D. 1227.

So when we read about Paul urging his brothers and sisters in Christ to ‘stand firm IN THIS WAY’, in Philippians 4:1, we know he’s looking back to what he’s just said (in Chapter 3), about ‘eagerly awaiting a Saviour from heaven…who will transform our lowly bodies’

I wonder what we most look forward to as we think about heaven?

Surely seeing Jesus must be at the top of our list.

But secondly, won’t it be wonderful for the first time ever to experience perfect relationships, with everyone, everywhere?

No more waking up to news about atrocities in Ukraine, no more gun killings in America, or knife stabbings in the UK.

No more divorce, no more breakdown of relationships, no more bitterness, resentment, or jealousy.

Just Jesus, and a world (heaven!) filled with love for Him and for each other.

What a future to look forward to!

And this is what Paul encourages 2 Christian sisters who have fallen out with each other to remind themselves of, so that they can be reconciled to each other.

He says in verse 2:

‘I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.’

There are all sorts of reasons for conflict, both outside and inside the church, some complex, some seemingly insignificant.

But I’ve found this picture of conflict one of the easiest to understand. It’s a picture of 2 people looking at a large letter lying on the ground, sideways. For one person, looking from her perspective, it’s the letter “M”. For the other, looking at it from a different angle, it’s the letter “W”.

We see things from our perspective, and we’re convinced we’re right!

Isn’t that the problem when it comes to wars, relationships, and how quickly we fall out with each other?!

Christians do sometimes fall out with each other. It may be over major issues; it may be over minor irritations. We live in a fallen world and we get caught up in thinking we’re right and others are wrong.

We live in a ‘cancel culture’ world where we think we can ‘cancel’ a friend if we fall out with them.

And what does Paul encourage us to do?

To remind ourselves of who we are, of ‘Whose’ we are…to ‘stand firm’ in the Lord. To remind ourselves that a Day is coming when ‘He will transform our lowly bodies’, that we will experience, for all eternity, relationships as they were meant to be.

Paul encourages us to look beyond our differences, and to  look at Jesus. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and show kindness to each other, rather than our ‘rightness’.

In Titus 3:4,5, Paul says:

‘But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.’

So let’s finish with these words from a well known song, to help us when we face our differences and conflicts:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace


Category: Prayers , The Bridge , Thought for the week