Read Philippians 2:1-5 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. What does belonging to Christ bring?
2. How are we to act?
3. Whose attitude should we have?
Reflect
Paul, across his many letters to the churches he loved, wrote often about their complicated relationships. He dedicated much of his teaching to them because he understood that they’re some of the most challenging yet rewarding things people experience. God, as the creator of all things, has guidelines for how to have healthy and Christ-honoring relationships. This doesn’t make them perfect, problem-free, or without pain, but it makes them better. So what does it look like to do relationships God’s way?
The NIV renders Philippians 2:5 like this: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” We have the same mindset as Christ when we follow in His footsteps: loving and serving others as He loved us and loving and obeying our Father as He obeyed His Father.
God made you for good relationships with others. As you read this week about His plans and cautions surrounding intimacy, remember that God knows what’s best. He loves you and wants to give you good things, not withhold them from you. And if you’ve chosen a different path before, it’s never too late to turn back to Him.
Respond
Where do you most often look to for relationship advice? How has that advice worked? Does it line up with what you know so far about God’s way to approach relationships, and why or why not?