Find Joy in Serving

It’s finally Friday! It has been a very long week for me, but a short one too. I think it is because I am unreasonably tired and need more than 5 hours of sleep at night. Somehow though, I cannot seem to go to bed on time. I think I should commit to being in bed by 10 PM on work nights. It might help.

Philippians 2:2-5 (NASB)

² make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; ⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

These verses have so many applications for their meaning; I thought I would talk about them a little bit today. Vs 2 discusses unity in the church. I like this, because there seems to be so much argueing and bitterness in the church over trivial things. Like music. Or paint colors. Or carpet. And so on. It is just plain ridiculous. Jesus didn’t teach in a church – building. He taught on a hillside, or in a square, or in someone’s home. He didn’t care about paint, carpet, music or anything like that. His intent was to deliver His message and He did that very well.

This can apply to singles as well, and combined with vs 3, can speak volumes. Men should treat women as their sisters in Christ. Women should treat men as their brothers in Christ. There should not be an ulterior motive when it comes to socializing with Christian singles, but too many times there are. It seems like there is an expectation, even among Christian singles, that when we get together to socialize, it is a meet and greet to see if a potential dating partner is there. I get very frustrated by this, as I go to fellowships with the expectation that I will meet new brothers and sisters, not a potential boyfriend. Let me clear it up.. the expectation is not there, but if that is where God introduces me to someone, I am not opposed.

Vs 4 is so vital. “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”  It is amazing to me how selfish people are today. Maybe they always were and I wasn’t paying attention. Either way, the world we live in is all about instant gratification and me, me, ME!  There isn’t a “love your neighbor” rule anymore, unless that neighbor can do something for you. This verse admonishes us, so that we do look out for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am repeating myself here, but I it needs to be said. Ladies, when we look out for our brothers, we should not be wearing clothing that will put inappropriate thoughts in their minds about their sister(s) in Christ. We should be aware of how a simple touch causes a reaction. We should be cautious of how flirtatious we get. We should also be respectful of the men and their self-esteem, ensuring our words or actions do not tear them down.

Men, you should be aware of how you treat your sisters. Do you look at us as a sister in Christ or as a conquest?  Do you talk to us and treat us with respect and care, to make sure your words are carefully chosen so as not to wound our hearts?  (Don’t get me wrong guys, we aren’t fragile little things. However, we take words to heart, literally, and you must use caution so as not to cause harm).  Do you talk “locker room” talk about us when we aren’t there?

Our greatest example of how to treat one another is Jesus. He was the ultimate single man. Guys, if you are unsure of how to treat your sisters, read about Jesus in the four Gospels. Those books will show you what you need to do. And if you are still unclear, find a wise Godly man to tell you.