Prepare Our Hearts

Phillipians 2:1

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. (Jesus was self emptying!! -Kenosis).   Phillipians 2:1-8 NOAB

Ever sang theses lines on a Sunday morning? “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love. We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand and together we’ll show them that God is in our land. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Christian unity has a bigger purpose than we often see. When we display it, the people know our God. When we do not the people just see us. How important it is to display our love for the body of Christ!

This is an area of special conviction for me as a married mom. So often in my marriage there is absolutely no unity, in fact it’s utter strife. Look at the direct result of a lack of unity in the home…

Titus 2:3-5 NAOB

Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.

“…so that the word of God may not be discredited.” Our strife, our lack of love for our children, our lack of self control, and mismanagement has a cost. Our unwillingness to submit to our husband may result in someone not believing the word of God!!!

Jesus laid down His life, on a cross for the sake of unity. For love for peace, for the example of being one with the Father He laid it down… willingly. I can’t lay down the check book, the car, the fight over the kids, the color of a wall! I can’t lay it down, I’d rather be right. I would rather win the fight. All the while my God and His word get discredited. When I look at unity with this in mind, I am strongly convicted of my selfishness and reminded of Jesus’ self emptying.

Oh God change my heart to self empty, in Jesus name.