Joyful Living Devotional - Day 35
Day 35 - Getting Along with Others
Philippians 4:2-3 (NLT) 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
Throughout his letter to the Philippians, Paul appeals to humility, grace, preferring others, working together with one heart and purpose, and to tenderness and compassion. He wants the church in Philippi not just to work together but to be in wholehearted agreement, not by a grin-and-bear-it mentality but by Christlike humility, with tenderness and compassion. Simply put, Paul wants them to love one another as Jesus loves them. He wants the love of Christ to be evident in how they relate to one another. Enter the scene, Euodia and Syntyche, two women who worked side by side with Paul in telling others the Good News. Paul appeals to them to have the mind of Christ and to agree. Some scholars think this might be a general encouragement to agree, but many think there was a dispute between these two women. What is undisputed is that these two ladies played a significant role in the church in Philippi. We know from Acts 16:13 that when Paul and Silas first preached in Philippi, they went outside the city and spoke to some women who were gathered at the riverbank.
Acts 16:13 (NLT) On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there.
We don’t know whether or not Euodia and Syntyche were part of that group of women, but we do know they helped Paul greatly. Paul appeals either to a specific individual who worked with him or to the church’s collective partnership to help these women settle their disagreement. The Greek word for “partner” is Syzygus, which can mean an associate, comrade, or fellow laborer, or it can be a person's name. It is an interesting thought; however, the most important point is that Paul appeals to both of these ladies and others to help bring unity to the church.
“Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays.”
– Andrew Murray
The appeal is to get along because they all belong to the Lord. When followers of Christ fight, everybody loses. How would you like your name to be mentioned in the Bible, not for anything good, but for an argument you were having with a fellow believer? I personally think that one of the saddest things in our churches today is this culture of disposability. I don’t agree, so I leave and break relationships! Remember this truth about relationships: Relationships are the only eternal thing. The people you try to dismiss and avoid this side of eternity will be unavoidable in eternity. Do you think your Heavenly Father is going to divide heaven into different parts for different people? Do you think He is going to put people from different denominations in different areas of heaven? If you do, think again!
“Some Christians try to go to heaven alone, in solitude. But believers are not compared to bears, lions, or other animals that wander alone. Those who belong to Christ are sheep in this respect: that they love to get together. Sheep go in flocks, and so do God’s people.”
– Charles Spurgeon
Where do you think people who are serving the Lord will go when they die? I did not say where you wish for them to go. They are obviously going to go to heaven, and so are you. Don’t you think it will be a good thing to learn to get along this side of eternity? It is natural to disagree; it is supernatural to forgive and reconcile.
“Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.”
– Rick Warren
Why is it so important to get along? Because God’s work suffers when we don’t. Consider how conflict with others saps our energy, melts our resolve, and weakens our witness. It also drains our joy and disturbs our peace. It limits our potential and wastes Kingdom opportunities. Why do we continue to allow conflict to separate us and think the Lord Jesus approves of it?
The root of conflict is selfishness. Why do we fight? Why do we argue? Why don't we get along? Because I want what I want, and you want what you want. We both insist on the "Burger King Philosophy": Have it my way. Paul pleads with these two co-workers in Christ to work out their disagreements. He reminds them that both had worked hard and helped him greatly in spreading the good news. Why should we work out our differences? Because we belong to the Lord! Jesus does not fight with Jesus.
Think about this: even the devil knows that a divided kingdom is a falling one. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 12:25-26 (NCV), “25 Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking, so he said to them, ‘Every kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. And any city or family that is divided against itself will not continue. 26 And if Satan forces out himself, then Satan is divided against himself, and his kingdom will not continue.’”
What’s the remedy? First, always be full of joy! Joyful people rarely pick fights, but miserable people do. Second, be considerate in all you do. Not just in words or in your heart, but your consideration must be evident to all. That means thinking of others before yourself. Don’t think less of yourself; think less about yourself! Why? Because the Lord is coming. We will have to give an account of how we treated one another. No father celebrates when his children don’t get along, and God is our Father. Third, instead of worrying, pray. Worry causes anxiety, and anxiety leads us to act out of fear. There is a better way. Ask your Heavenly Father. Instead of looking to people to meet your needs, pray and tell God what you need. Then His peace will guard your heart and mind as you keep in step with Christ’s nature and character.
We all have to do the hard work of getting along. Some people are easier to get along with than others. Nevertheless, if we say we are mature, we must be considerate like Jesus. In your relationships, choose joy, choose consideration, and choose prayer, and you will have peace! Who do you need to forgive, and who do you need to reconcile with? When will you?
Prayer:
Pray:
“Father, thank you for loving me unconditionally, even when I don’t deserve it. Help me to think about others the way You do. Let me see others the way You see them. Forgive me for being inconsiderate and selfish, and for expecting others to meet needs only You can. I choose not to worry but to trust You with all my needs, including all my relationships. Help my fellow Rock family work together to build Your kingdom and to have healthy, growing relationships. Keep us from foolish and useless disagreements and arguments. Remind us that, in the end, all that matters is how we loved You and loved others. I pray that Your peace will guard my heart and mind as I choose to walk in forgiveness daily and practice consideration in all I do. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!”
Philippians 4:2-3 (NLT) 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
Throughout his letter to the Philippians, Paul appeals to humility, grace, preferring others, working together with one heart and purpose, and to tenderness and compassion. He wants the church in Philippi not just to work together but to be in wholehearted agreement, not by a grin-and-bear-it mentality but by Christlike humility, with tenderness and compassion. Simply put, Paul wants them to love one another as Jesus loves them. He wants the love of Christ to be evident in how they relate to one another. Enter the scene, Euodia and Syntyche, two women who worked side by side with Paul in telling others the Good News. Paul appeals to them to have the mind of Christ and to agree. Some scholars think this might be a general encouragement to agree, but many think there was a dispute between these two women. What is undisputed is that these two ladies played a significant role in the church in Philippi. We know from Acts 16:13 that when Paul and Silas first preached in Philippi, they went outside the city and spoke to some women who were gathered at the riverbank.
Acts 16:13 (NLT) On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there.
We don’t know whether or not Euodia and Syntyche were part of that group of women, but we do know they helped Paul greatly. Paul appeals either to a specific individual who worked with him or to the church’s collective partnership to help these women settle their disagreement. The Greek word for “partner” is Syzygus, which can mean an associate, comrade, or fellow laborer, or it can be a person's name. It is an interesting thought; however, the most important point is that Paul appeals to both of these ladies and others to help bring unity to the church.
“Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays.”
– Andrew Murray
The appeal is to get along because they all belong to the Lord. When followers of Christ fight, everybody loses. How would you like your name to be mentioned in the Bible, not for anything good, but for an argument you were having with a fellow believer? I personally think that one of the saddest things in our churches today is this culture of disposability. I don’t agree, so I leave and break relationships! Remember this truth about relationships: Relationships are the only eternal thing. The people you try to dismiss and avoid this side of eternity will be unavoidable in eternity. Do you think your Heavenly Father is going to divide heaven into different parts for different people? Do you think He is going to put people from different denominations in different areas of heaven? If you do, think again!
“Some Christians try to go to heaven alone, in solitude. But believers are not compared to bears, lions, or other animals that wander alone. Those who belong to Christ are sheep in this respect: that they love to get together. Sheep go in flocks, and so do God’s people.”
– Charles Spurgeon
Where do you think people who are serving the Lord will go when they die? I did not say where you wish for them to go. They are obviously going to go to heaven, and so are you. Don’t you think it will be a good thing to learn to get along this side of eternity? It is natural to disagree; it is supernatural to forgive and reconcile.
“Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.”
– Rick Warren
Why is it so important to get along? Because God’s work suffers when we don’t. Consider how conflict with others saps our energy, melts our resolve, and weakens our witness. It also drains our joy and disturbs our peace. It limits our potential and wastes Kingdom opportunities. Why do we continue to allow conflict to separate us and think the Lord Jesus approves of it?
The root of conflict is selfishness. Why do we fight? Why do we argue? Why don't we get along? Because I want what I want, and you want what you want. We both insist on the "Burger King Philosophy": Have it my way. Paul pleads with these two co-workers in Christ to work out their disagreements. He reminds them that both had worked hard and helped him greatly in spreading the good news. Why should we work out our differences? Because we belong to the Lord! Jesus does not fight with Jesus.
Think about this: even the devil knows that a divided kingdom is a falling one. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 12:25-26 (NCV), “25 Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking, so he said to them, ‘Every kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. And any city or family that is divided against itself will not continue. 26 And if Satan forces out himself, then Satan is divided against himself, and his kingdom will not continue.’”
What’s the remedy? First, always be full of joy! Joyful people rarely pick fights, but miserable people do. Second, be considerate in all you do. Not just in words or in your heart, but your consideration must be evident to all. That means thinking of others before yourself. Don’t think less of yourself; think less about yourself! Why? Because the Lord is coming. We will have to give an account of how we treated one another. No father celebrates when his children don’t get along, and God is our Father. Third, instead of worrying, pray. Worry causes anxiety, and anxiety leads us to act out of fear. There is a better way. Ask your Heavenly Father. Instead of looking to people to meet your needs, pray and tell God what you need. Then His peace will guard your heart and mind as you keep in step with Christ’s nature and character.
We all have to do the hard work of getting along. Some people are easier to get along with than others. Nevertheless, if we say we are mature, we must be considerate like Jesus. In your relationships, choose joy, choose consideration, and choose prayer, and you will have peace! Who do you need to forgive, and who do you need to reconcile with? When will you?
Prayer:
- Pray that the Lord will deliver you from a selfish spirit.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a considerate heart and help you develop a healthy mindset toward others.
- Pray and release any person toward whom you hold ill will. Ask the Lord to help you build a healthy pattern of relating to others.
Pray:
“Father, thank you for loving me unconditionally, even when I don’t deserve it. Help me to think about others the way You do. Let me see others the way You see them. Forgive me for being inconsiderate and selfish, and for expecting others to meet needs only You can. I choose not to worry but to trust You with all my needs, including all my relationships. Help my fellow Rock family work together to build Your kingdom and to have healthy, growing relationships. Keep us from foolish and useless disagreements and arguments. Remind us that, in the end, all that matters is how we loved You and loved others. I pray that Your peace will guard my heart and mind as I choose to walk in forgiveness daily and practice consideration in all I do. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!”
Posted in Joyful Living Devotional