Philippians 4:1-9 (NRSV)
Read Philippians 4:1-9 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 4Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. Verse 2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Verse 3Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. Verse 4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Verse 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Verse 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Verse 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Verse 8Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Verse 9Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Devotion
Sometimes when we fight for what's right we lose sight of the bigger goal. I like to think that Euodia and Syntyche were arguing over how best to serve the Lord. Maybe they were concerned about efficiency, efficacy or egality.
As a mother of three daughters, I understand how passionate an argument can get, especially among people who are close. Often the most intense arguments are over nuances. Peace returns when we can agree that multiple points can be valid, true and even righteous.
Even when we don't understand each other, Christ Jesus is still present and working in all of us. As the church, our primary goal is not to be right, but to spread the love of Jesus.
Today, whatever discord we witness between people, let's look for signs of excellence and purity and whatever is worthy of praise. When we see those things, we see Jesus.
Prayer
Creator God, in our differences, we see a fuller picture of you. Help us to appreciate our differences and harness their energy for greater effectiveness in sharing your good news. Amen.