Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

November 20
Wednesday


GENUINE
CONCERN

READ:
Philippians 2:1-5
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Let each of you look
out not only for his own
interests, but also for
the interests of others.
__Philippians 2:4
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On the first night at family camp, the camp director informed the families of the schedule for the week. When finished, he asked if anyone else had anything to say. A young girl stood up and made a passionate appeal for help. She shared about her little brother__a boy with special needs__ and how he could be a challenge to care for. She talked about how tiring this was for her family, and she asked everyone there to help them keep an eye on him during the week. It was an appeal born out of genuine concern for her brother and her parents. As the week went on, it was great to see people pitching in to help this family.

Her appeal was a gentle reminder of how easily we can all get wrapped up in our own world, life, and problems__to the point that we fail to see the needs of others. Here's how Paul described our responsibility: "Let each of you look out not only for hsis own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil 2:4). The next verse reminds us that this is part of the example of Christ: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

Our caring displays a Christlike concern for people who are hurting. May we rest in God's grace, trusting him to enable us to serve others in their seasons of need. __Bill Crowder

````````````````````Lord, open my eyes to the hurts, needs, and struggles```````````````````
`````````````````````of a world that is so desperately in need of Your love.``````````````````
``````````````````````````Help me to be Your instrument to inject``````````````````````````
`````````````````````````````````that love into hurting lives.``````````````````````````````
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Nothing costs as much as caring__except not caring.

******************************Today's Bible Reading __ Philippians 2:1-5**********************************

1 Therfore if there is any
consolation in Christ, if any
comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if
any affection and mercy,

2 fulfill my joy by being
like-minded, having the
same love, being of one
accord, of one mind. 3 Let
nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit,
but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem others better
than himself. 6 Let each of
you look out not only for
his own interests, but also
for the interests of others.

5 Let this mind be in you
which was also in christ
Jesus.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today's passage focuses on the need for humility and unity within
the body of Christ. some Bible teachers see a strong correlation
between what Paul teaches here and what Christ expresses in
the prayer He gave before His crucifixion. In this prayer, Jesus
asked the Father to make His followers one in unity (John 17:20.
23). Despite the many admirable qualities of the believers at
Philippi, some in that congregation struggled with pride and selfish
ambition, characteristics that can create divisions. The remedy
to selfishness is humble servanthood. Humility does not mean an
unrealistic demeaning of yourself. Instead, it is best characterized
as a proper evaluation of yourself that gives glory to God for your
gifts and is expressed in an attitude of concern for the needs and
accomplishments of others.