AUGUST 18, 2015
Under Siege
Let
each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests
of others. — Philippians 2:4
Read:
Philippians
2:1-11
During the Bosnian War
(1992–1996), more than 10,000 people—civilians and soldiers—were killed in the
city of Sarajevo as gunfire and mortar rounds rained down from the surrounding
hills. Steven Galloway’s gripping novel The Cellist of Sarajevo unfolds there,
during the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare. The book follows
three fictional characters who must decide if they will become completely
self-absorbed in their struggle to survive, or will somehow rise above their
numbing circumstances to consider others during a time of great adversity.
From a prison in Rome,
Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi, saying: “Let each of you look out not
only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4).
Paul cited Jesus as the great example of a selfless focus on others: “Christ
Jesus, who, being in the form of God, . . . made Himself of no reputation . . .
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of
the cross” (vv. 5-8). Rather than seeking sympathy from others, Jesus gave all
He had to rescue us from the tyranny of sin.
Our continuing
challenge as followers of Jesus is to see through His eyes and respond to the
needs of others in His strength, even in our own difficult times.
Are you going through
something hard right now? What can you still do for another?
Embracing God’s love for us is the key to loving others.
INSIGHT:
The words that Paul penned to the Philippian
church while he was under house arrest are some of the most challenging. There
is so much in this short letter that goes against our natural inclinations.
From prison, Paul encouraged the Philippian believers to “make his joy
complete” (2:2 niv). Paul is joyful while in prison because of his faith in
Christ, and he encouraged the believers to add to his joy by looking out for
one another and counting others as more important than themselves. Paul then
uses Jesus as the example of this kind of selflessness. In taking on humanity,
Jesus gave up everything that was rightfully His to come to our rescue. J.R.
Hudberg
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015
