Dave's Diary

Today we return to reflect on the call to connect to our fellow Christ-followers through deliberately cultivating genuine, sincere, loving relationships of mutual support, care and fellowship in a small group setting. Like the early Christians, we often struggle to do these relationships well. The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians to encourage them to do better at loving one another within their house churches. In doing so, he explained what lies at the heart of our mutual love for one another.

Daily Reading: Philippians 2:1-18

In this passage, Paul emphasises that it is entirely possible to grow close, meaningful, loving relationships with fellow believers. It is entirely possible to live successfully in a community of vastly diverse individuals. Within that community it is entirely possible to become like-minded, to love one another, to be of one mind and of one spirit, to be humble, to value others more highly than oneself and selflessly to pursue the highest best interests of others. In other words a Christlike community is possible!

It is possible to live like this because it is entirely possible for the individual Christ-follower to change our self-centred mindset and our self-seeking ways, and then to live together in unity and love one another in these ways. It is possible because we have been united with Christ, we have received the perfect love of Christ, we are all indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, and He imparts His tenderness and compassion to us.

So, even though it won’t be easy; even though we will still need to be very focussed on our goal of living in Christlike community; even though we will have to put in great effort to working out how to do this well (v.12); and even though this kind of community is as radically different to the world around us as the stars are to the night sky; we can do it! We can do it because “it is God who works in (us) to will and to act in order to fulfil His great purpose” (v.13). God Himself, by the example of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us the desire and the power to live in this way in community with one another.

So, let us stop making excuses. Let us ask the Lord to give us His mind and His heart for one another; and then let’s get into our Christian Family and start building this kind of Christ-centred and Spirit-empowered Community. Amen!