Tag Archives: If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ

Being United With Christ

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The Sacramental Life - Day 327 - Philippians 2:1-4 - Being United With Christ - Growing As Disciples

The Sacramental Life – Day 327 – Philippians 2:1-4 – Being United With Christ – Growing As Disciples

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV)

Motivation

What is your motivation? I’m not sure that I know what you are asking me. What motivates the way that you think and speak and act toward others? That is a very good question that is causing me to evaluate my behavior. Do I think and speak and act out of my own self-interest?  I am living to please myself? Am I listening attentively to others? Am I aware of what those around me want and need? I strongly suspect that you want me to ask and answer those questions, am I correct? You are correct. I will say this, I want to follow your example. I want to think like you thought. I want to speak like you spoke. I want to act like you acted. In every way I want to live as you lived. I could also say that I want to be able to know and do your will. Do you know why you have these desires in you? You are my Savior and Lord. Your Holy Spirit lives and dwells inside of me. I am united with you in living the new life that you have given me to live. Day by day you are molding and shaping my life. It is your purpose and plan to make me to be like you in all that I think, say, and do. You have answered well. You do have a band new life to live in me. I am molding and shaping your life. You are like clay in my hand. Will you keep on welcoming my work in you? Will you continue to live as I lived? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

What will your new life that is united in me look like? I will do nothing out of vain conceit. Selfish ambition will not be the motivation of my life. I will treat others with tenderness and compassion. I will love others just as you have loved me. I will live in unity with others, being one in spirit with them, seeking to accomplish your common purposes. In humility, I will consider others as better than myself, so that I can serve them well. It could almost go without saying that I will look not only to my own interests but also to the interest of others. This is how living my new life in you will look. Living this new life in you will be my motivation. That will be very good.

Lord, thank you for giving me a brand-new life to live. Keep on transforming the way I think, speak, and act toward others. I humbly consider others as better than myself. I will look not only to my interests but also to the interests of others so I can serve them. Amen

Key Question…  How has being united with Christ transformed your thoughts, words, and actions?

Living It Out…  Allow your being united with Christ to transform the way you think and speak and act towards others.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that being united with Christ will transform the way you think and speak and act.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how your being united with Christ is transforming your life.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you be united with Christ and like-minded with Him.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Devotional Study Guide click here

The Sacramental Life – Day 327 – Philippians 2-1-4 – Being United With Christ – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                                        Copying not permitted                          

United With Christ

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - If - Philippians 2:1-4 - United With Christ- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Philippians 2:1-4 – United With Christ- Growing As Disciples

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV) 

Like Minded 

You have had a strong and independent streak in you. You have had your own ideas and done your own thing. You have thought that you knew it all and needed no help from others. Many times you have been driven by selfish ambition and vain conceit. Haven’t you even thought that you were a little better than everyone else? All of what you have said is true. You know me better than I know myself. There is nothing that I can hide from you. I know that you are no longer any of these things. What has happened to you? 

I have been humbled. The pride of my ways caught up with me. My pride led me down a path that left me bruised and battered by life. My own ideas and my own ways were not working. I discovered that I did not know it all. I clearly saw that I needed all the help I could get. I cried out to you for help. You rescued me from my darkness. You forgave me of my sin and cleansed me of all my unrighteousness. You filled me with your Spirit and set me on the path of life. I have been following you ever since. That’s right. Say more about the changes that I have brought in your life.

I am so thankful for all that you have done for me. You have comforted me with your love. You have encouraged me as I have walked with you. You have changed my hard heart and filled me with your tenderhearted compassion for others. I no longer want to live for myself. I no longer want to pursue selfish ambitions. I am no longer driven by vain conceit. Instead, I want to serve you and the people that you bring into my life. I no longer consider myself better than others. I am now looking out for the interests of others. I’m not doing all this perfectly that’s for sure. But, you have changed the entire direction of my life. My self-centered independent streak is gone. Well, mostly gone. I have great joy in working together with fellow believers. I want to live in unity with them. I want to join together in your work with fellow believers with a like-minded passion to fulfill your purposes. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Would you say that I have done a miracle in your life? Yes Lord, you have done a miracle in my life. That’s very good.

Lord, thank you for uniting me with you and filling me with your Spirit. You have encouraged me and comforted me with your love. You have filled me with tenderhearted compassion. Help me to live in like-minded singleness of purpose with fellow believers. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

If – Philippians 2-1-4 – United With Christ – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Being Like Minded

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - The Mind - Philippians 2:1-2 - Being Like Minded - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Mind – Philippians 2:1-2 – Being Like Minded – Growing As Disciples

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV)

Singleness of Purpose

What have you received from me? That sounds like an impossible question to answer. Why is that? I have received so much from you. Then you will have plenty with which to answer my question. That’s right. I have received your love. I have received your mercy. I have received your forgiveness. I have received your comfort and encouragement. I have received your tenderness and compassion. You have allowed me to live in a close and intimate relationship with you. Yes, you have generously and abundantly received all of this and much more from me.

What do you think I want you to do with all that I have generously and abundantly given to you? I’m not sure what you mean. Have I given you a little bit of my love? Have I given you a small sample of my mercy and forgiveness? Have I given you a little taste of my comfort and encouragement? Have I given you just enough of my tenderness and compassion? No, you have generously and abundantly given these and much more to me. Why do you think that is? There is no limit to your kindness, goodness, mercy and love. That’s true. What else? You want me to generously and abundantly give to others all that you have given to me. Yes, I do.

Will it be hard for you to give to others all that I have given to you? No, it will not be hard to give to others all that you have given to me. Why is that? There are a couple reasons. I’m listening. All that you have given to me has changed me. How so? Your love has made me loving. Your mercy has made me merciful. Your forgiveness has made me forgiving. As I live in a close and intimate relationship with you I am becoming more like you. Yes, you are. I want to do what you have done. I want to live like you lived. I want to give like you gave. I want to love like you loved. You are giving me the desire and ability to do for others what you have done for me. Yes, I am. It is now my joy to be like-minded with you, having the same singleness of purpose that you had in loving and giving yourself to others. That’s what I want. That is what I am doing and will continue to do in and through your life as you follow and serve me.

Lord, thank you for all the encouragement, comfort and love I have received from you. Help me to share with others all you have given to me. Help me to live in spirit enabled like-minded unity and singleness of purpose with fellow believers. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

The Mind – Philippians 2-1-2 – Being Like Minded – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com