Our Joy

Philippians 2:4

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

All Christians are disciples of Christ.  As disciples, our lives are to be based on the life and teachings and acts of Christ.  We are to strive for the same love, the same tenderness, the same humility, the same spirit as Christ.

And, because our lives are based on Christ, we are to rise above our self interest, not looking to our own needs but to the needs of others.  John Wesley called this “practical Christianity”.  Christians are to embody the teachings of Christ so that we live out His teachings in our everyday, ordinary lives; taking the teachings of Christ outside the church and into the world.

Christians, then, are examples of Christ to the world in which they live.  This is who we are, who we are called to be.   Christ dwells within us and therefore in the world. 

And this is our joy.   

May the love of Christ be with you

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)