Living in the Spirit
October 12, 2017
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:1-9
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, 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. –Philippians 2-3
Apparently, Euodia and Syntyche were not of the same mind. There is a lot of that going around today. I mused to a friend recently that I could not understand how people could interpret the same behavior so very differently. It makes one wonder if evil spirits like Screwtape and Wormwood from C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters exists. There seems to be some evil trying desperately to separate God’s children from forming the world that God envisioned for us all. Who benefits from a dearth of love in the world? Warmongers might be one group as they make a lot of money from the carnage of battlefields. I suppose anyone who values money more than love benefit. What about all the folks who are missing out on an abundant life because others are reaping benefits they did not sow. Refocusing the disenfranchised on blaming each other for their situations contributes to the mayhem. Carefully making minority groups of all kinds scapegoats keeps the wheels of fortune moving. History tells us over and over again that such behavior comes to a bad end. Israel fell to Assyria, Judah fell to Babylon, Rome just fell apart failing to hold a workable government together. Sound familiar?
I must confess I want to run away from all the disarray, but God calls us to create a world of love, to be a part of the solution. The starting point is finding the things on which we can become of the same mind and making them work. It also requires us to see beyond our lives and gain perspective from the ways others must face the world. We must be able to set aside the things that distract us that in the grand scheme of things matter only to those interested in causing division.
Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. –1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Prayer: Lord, train us in the way we should go. Help us find the same mind and not be distracted from attaining your vision. Amen.