Our scripture this morning is Philippians 2:1-4.
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
Paul writes to the church in Philippi with guidance on caring for one another. Jesus has taught us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) but He was quoting from scripture in Leviticus 19:17-18. The commandment from God to love one another has been around a very long time.
God wants us to be aware of each other because we are each His creation, made in His image. From the beginning, we were tasked with the care of creation, and that includes each other. As Paul writes “each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well”, reminding us that we are responsible for all our brothers and sisters.
Caring for others varies according to their needs and our gifts, but we must know their needs first and this means knowing them. God wants us to be in fellowship with Him and each other. Only by communicating with each other can we truly know each other. Only through prayer and His word can we truly know God.
Loving Lord, we are grateful to be called as part of Your caring plan. Bless us to go into the world to share Your love and meet its needs. Amen.
