Have You in My Heart…

 

1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.—Philippians 1:1-11

In reading Philippians 1:1-11 last night two things stayed with me.   The first was that despite writing to the Philippians from a Roman prison, Paul was joyful.  His chains were not in Rome, but in Christ.  All was to further God’s plan, not Paul’s. Paul had a single mind focused on doing the will of God. I don’t know about you, but this really convicted me.  Seeing God use my circumstances for His purposes especially when I am suffering is not usually in the forefront of my mind.  On the peripheral edges maybe...but not the forefront. 

Praying today, that I can see past me and my discomfort and desire for relief, and see the trials I face not only as opportunities for faith but for joy as well.  Why?  Because He is working His will and purposes not only in me but also in the lives of those around me...and that is always a good thing.

The second thought that stayed with me was that Paul LOVED those God had placed in His care. He longed for them. He had them in his mind, on his heart and he prayed for them. He thanked His God upon every remembrance of them and made requests for them with joy.  His attitude reminded me of some of my favorite verses from Colossians.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.—Colossians 3:12-17

Love is the bond that brings unity. The love of God was poured out in Paul’s heart and he was clearly filled with the fruits of righteousness which are only by Jesus Christ.  For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I so want to be like Paul here but sadly, I am not.  My mind is on me and my problems most of the time.  I think that perhaps the secret to Paul’s joy was that his mind was not on Paul but on Christ.  Maybe the JOY acronym that we hear batted about was derived originally from Paul’s attitude as he wrote to the Philippians believers.  JOY=Jesus, others, you. Paul was miles from the Philippians believers but his fellowship with them remained unbroken. In fact, he furthered it not only by writing to them but by praying for them.  Like Jesus, Paul had the Philippians believers on his mind, on his heart and in his prayers. ❤️

May each of us be that kind of person to each other...

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.—Galatians 6:2

You Follow Me…

 

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."—John 21:20-22

This small section of Scripture oddly enough brings me back to my grammar school days when the teacher would reprimand us by saying, “Eyes front!”  Jesus’ words, “You follow Me." are like those of my grade school teachers, in that, they remind me to place my focus in the right place.  

It is so easy for me to get side-tracked by people and focused on what they are doing or saying or accomplishing rather than what should have my attention. My flesh doesn’t want to miss anything...it doesn’t want to be left behind...it wants to be in the know and it wants to be included!   My attention, therefore, gets diverted and as a result my heart gets divided.  A divided heart is not a good thing.  It feeds double-mindedness and causes us to waste precious time and energy on things that do not matter.  I don’t know about you, but for me focusing on others and paying close attention to what they are doing or saying can be exhausting.  Life on earth is difficult enough without taking on additional concerns or worries that are not yours to take.  

Truly, Jesus’ admonishment here to Peter is a gift to my heart.  My Jesus WANTS all my attention. Jesus doesn’t want me to concern myself with what everybody else is saying or doing.  I can focus instead, on Him, the One who rules and overrules all for my good and His glory.  I can trust Him to bring me forward or back.  I can trust that He has my best interest at heart.  No good thing will He withhold from me as walk in obedience before Him.  He is good and will do good.  My God is my sun and my shield, my strength and my song...my portion forever.  

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.—Philippians 3:12-16

In My Distress I Called Upon the Lord…

 

Beloved…

Some days of the year are harder than others. If your heart today is in the darkness of grief, be comforted…the Lord Jesus was there as well. He is a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The Father’s Well-Beloved Son has gone ahead of you into your darkness. He knows and understands your sorrow. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. In the time of trouble, He shall hide you in  His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle, He shall hide you…

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.—Psalm 62:8

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears (Ps. 18:6). God numbers our wanderings. He puts our tears in His bottle (Ps. 56:8) 

―Seeing that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:14–16).

Seek the Lord in your grief and sorrow. Trust Him and He will sustain you. He whose left hand is under your head and whose right hand embraces you, will bring you up out of the wilderness as you lean on Him.  May the joy of the Lord be your strength.

Photo credit “e” ❤️

Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart…

 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.—Proverbs 3:5-6

This verse is pretty foundational to the Christian walk. We are to trust the Lord fully…with all our heart or with everything we have.  The word translated “trust” in verse 5 means “to lie helpless, facedown.” It pictures a servant waiting for the master’s command in readiness to obey, or a defeated soldier yielding himself to the conquering general. 

At first glance that seems like a tough row to hoe. We are to trust Him no matter what comes our way…through “good” times, “bad” times, “anxious” times and “everyday” times. We are to trust Him in joy, in sorrow, in loneliness, in pain, in suffering and in despairing.   No equivocation. No double-mindedness. 

The alternative…leaning on your own understanding….though it might seem more “natural”…is much tougher and fraught with trouble because we are then walking not by faith but by sight.  More importantly, the Bible warns us against it in many places.  

There is a way that seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.—Proverbs 14:12

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones.—Proverbs 3:7-8

As finite human beings with fallen natures we not only can’t see ahead into the next moment, but even what we can see is distorted by sin.  Beloved…Our God knows all things.  (Ps 147:5; Psalm 139; 1 John 3:20) He is our faithful Creator. He is the One who is for us.  He is the One who rules and overrules all in our lives for His glory and our good. He is the One who sent His precious Son into this world to die so that in believing we could obtain eternal life. 

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?—Romans 8:32

He has also given us His word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. His ways, the Bible tells us are higher than our ways.  

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.—Isaiah 55:8-9

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!—Romans 11:33

I don’t know about you, but I spend way too much time leaning on my own understanding or looking at life and all that is occurring through the lens of my own perspective…my own insight. The only thing this has ever produced in my life is anxiety.  Instead, I need to see all through the lens of His word which tells me that as His beloved daughter He works all in my life together for my good and His glory.  His ways may be incomprehensible to me, but they are trustworthy. And trusting God brings His peace to my heart. 

Think of  Joseph. 

Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."

Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.—Genesis 50:18-21

Or Job:

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

"I know that You can do everything,

And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.

You asked, Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?'

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Listen, please, and let me speak;

You said, I will question you, and you shall answer Me.'

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,

But now my eye sees You.

Therefore I abhor myself,

And repent in dust and ashes."

And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days.

Beloved…learn God’s truth. Obey His precepts. As you do this you will not only grow His grace, His favor and the knowledge of His will, but you will also find that He smooths out the rough places and upholds your footsteps in His right paths. When we lean on our own understanding we become wise in our own eyes and miss His will for us. As we obey Him we receive all that He has lovingly planned for us from before the foundation of the world. Trust God.  He will make your path straight. He has promised and He will do it.

Thus says the LORD:

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,

Let not the mighty man glory in his might,

Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

But let him who glories glory in this,

That he understands and knows Me,

That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.—Jeremiah 9:23-24

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"—Romans 9:20

The goodness of God endures continually—Psalm 52:1b

Photo Credit to “e”❤️

Living A Life That Leads Others Away From Sin…

 

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.—Philippians 1:9-11

Lately, I have taken to reading Scripture on long car rides because it helps me keep my focus on things above.  As our car hurtles down the highways with thousands of other vehicles concentrating on the word of God helps me to remember that I am sheltered and safe in His sovereign and merciful arms. 

I read the above verses first in the NKJV and then after a few readings I switched over to the Amplified version. 

And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight, so that you may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent [identifying the best, and distinguishing moral differences], and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [actually living lives that lead others away from sin]; filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God [so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized].—Philippians 1:9-11 AMPL. 

The second half of verse 10 drew my attention and spoke to my heart…

and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [actually living lives that lead others away from sin];

Blameless -Without offense - living a life that leads others away from sin

Strong’s defines it this way:

having nothing to strike against, not causing to stumble of a smooth road metaph. of not leading others to sin by one's mode of life

I really liked that…

When we live a life that is blameless or without offense, we live a life that leads others away from sin. Logically speaking then, if we are leading them by our mode of living away from sin, we are pointing them to Jesus.  

That really hit home and made me think.  Beloved…Our sin doesn’t just defile us. It defiles those around us as well. How much more then would the light of Jesus shining in our hearts, give the knowledge of the glory of God to those around us. 

Oh, Father..by Your Spirit do this work in my own heart…may my words and actions not cause any to stumble in sin but would instead, lead them away from sin and into the waiting arms of their Savior.  

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.—2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.—1 Peter 2:11-12

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."—1 Peter 1:15-16

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.—Ephesians 5:1

And Whatever You Do…

 

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, GIVING THANKS to His name. (Hebrews 13:15)

GIVING THANKS to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. (Colossians 1:12)

GIVING THANKS always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…(Ephesians 5:20)

We are to give thanks always FOR all things and IN all things. No loop holes. This is true not because we are supposed to be grateful for tragedy or pain or loss, but because no matter what is happening we are children of the Most High God.

Unbelief, doubt, and a complaining spirit are EASY, especially in the world we live in today so focused on self and secularism. It’s a piece of cake to be bitter or cynical. The challenge is to deny our natural inclinations and BE something different.

There are a billion reasons to worry and fret, and only one reason not to: God. And that one reason outweighs by far all the other billion combined. Being thankful is simply recognizing that fact.

Thankful that He is relentlessly loving.

Thankful that He sent His Son to die for our sins.

Thankful that this world is not our home and this life is only the barest sliver of the life to come.

Thankful that He has prepared a place for us to dwell with Him in peace and security and blessing forever.

It takes courage to believe and be thankful.

We can’t do this alone. We need His Spirit and each other, but it starts with a decision… a decision to live out our lives, not according to this world nor our flesh, but according to the Holy Spirit within us.

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20).

By Bill…

Nothing but Good…

 

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;—Philippians 1:6

If you are a believer, then you can know that right now God is working a work of divine grace in your soul.  You can also be confident that He will continue to perfect and complete that work of grace He began in you until the day of Jesus Christ.  He has promised and He will do it. 

Beloved…He who delivered you from the power of darkness and conveyed you into the kingdom of the Son of His love will work nothing but good in the heart that has been surrendered into His care. NOTHING. BUT. GOOD. Think on that. Every moment of every day your God is working His good in your heart. THERE IS NOTHING THAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THAT.  

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.—Romans 8:28

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?—Romans 8:31-32

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.—1 Peter 1:3-5

Trust Him…revel in His sovereignty and rest in His love.  

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.—2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

The goodness of God endures continually.—Psalm 52:1

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.—1 Corinthians 1:4-9

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.—Philippians 2:13

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.—Ephesians 2:4-10

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.—Hebrews 13 20-21

On Being Kindly Affectionate to One Another, in Honor Giving Preference to One Another…

 

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; --Romans 12:10

  

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,

We are in Romans 12, verse 10.  This section of Scripture, as I have said before, is one of the most practical in the Bible.  It is very simple and very easy to understand.  Not much I can do as far as exposition is concerned that Paul has not done.  He has made his point very clear.  As I read Romans 12:9-21, (see below)  however, my eyes always seem to fill with tears.  I don't know about you but the world that I live in and most of the people I know are not this way.  Believers have the desire to live this way  but their execution like mine is far from perfect.   None of us, sadly, will get it right until we meet Him face to face....until we awaken in His image. I so want to be this way to those around me, though.  Paul says this in Philippians and truly it is the heart attitude that we need in this life to live for Christ.

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Romans 12:9-21call us to a supernatural type of living that can only be done by the Spirit of God living inside us. Outside of Christ this type of living is impossible. Do you remember the "therefore" at the beginning of this chapter and what it meant?  Because of all that was written in the previous 11 chapters...because of what He has done and the promises we have in Him, we are to respond by presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices. We are to put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.  We are to look and act differently from the rest of the world.  Our conduct should be worthy of the Gospel of God. 

We already looked at loving genuinely, hating evil and gluing oneself to what is good. Verse 10 tells us to be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. John MacArthur says that the words kindly affectionate in the Greek is made up of two words meaning love.  So it could say be lovingly loving.  Here is the meaning in the Strong's:  cherishing one’s kindred, especially parents or children); fond of natural relatives, that is, fraternal towards fellow Christians: - kindly affectioned.

I think on it this way...we are to cherish and treat those around us as gently and kindly as a Mom treats a nursing infant.  Do you see how unnatural that would be in our flesh.  I know how I felt about each one of my nursing infants...I do not feel that way naturally for those that God puts in my path...if I manifest that kind of love at all it is the Spirit of God inside me...not me.  It is also the love I feel toward other like-minded believers.  I could be in a room with a group of strangers, but if they are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ it does not take long at all to develop common ground and a unique sense of unity and love with them because of our fellowship in Him.  It is definitely supernatural...I have never encountered its likeness in the world.  Matthew 18 says this:

"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."

If you receive another believer, you are receiving the Lord Himself.  I have seen the kindness and love that Christ Jesus has for us manifested in my church family over and over again.  It has been demonstrated to my own family many times. They have lovingly loved us.  It is one of the precious benefits of being a child of God.  Beautiful,  like minded fellowship with other believers.  

Paul goes on to say with brotherly love. John MacArthur says that the verse could read then like this.  "Be lovingly loving with one another with loving love."  I really don't think we have much space in that sentence for argument or loophole. 

1 John 5 says this: "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him."  Pretty simple...a believer will love God and love those who belong to Him. We are to be tender-hearted toward one another and forgiving.  We are to love one another in truth and sometimes we have to say some hard things in loving them truthfully.  Listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians 4.

"I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you.  For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.  Therefore I urge you, imitate me.  For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.  For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.  What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?"

Loving parents not only love their children fervently but warn, exhort, encourage, speak the truth, and make sure they keep the right company.  A loving parent sets an example that a child can imitate...and there should be no disparity between that parent's word and deed.  A loving parent will  speak gently and in love but at other times speak with a rod of discipline.  This is how we are to be in the family of God.  We are to love one another in truth.  Sometimes our love will be caring..sometimes concerned...sometimes confrontive, but it should always be led by the Spirit of God whose love is shed abroad in our hearts.

The second part of this verse takes our love even a step higher.  It says that in honor we are to prefer one another.  We are to put the other ahead of ourselves.  Still reading?...Good.  Love like this takes humility.  We are to jump at the chance to be first not in what we want, but in giving another what they desire.  We are to prefer them over ourselves. We are to love them sacrificially. Jesus is our ultimate example here.  

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." --Philippians 2:1-11 

We need the mind of Christ to be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and to prefer their needs to ours.  A mind of humility, submission, meekness and fervent love.  Christ is our example. He has done so much for us.  Our constant desire should be to please Him, to walk in obedience to Him and worthy of the grace and mercy He has shown us.   

Show others Christ by giving honor, giving preference, giving care, and meeting the needs of those He has placed in your life. Give yourself completely to Him and " "Be lovingly loving with one another with loving love."

Love

Mom

Romans 12:9-21 

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”[a]says the Lord. 20 Therefore

      “ If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

      If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

      For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”[b]

   

 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.