Read Philippians 1:7-8 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Discover
These two verses are some of the most personal and vulnerable that we’ll see in Scripture. They reveal the depth of connectedness Paul felt for the Philippian church. What makes his words even more powerful is the division that existed in Philippian culture, much like today. Dividing lines existed between races, wealth, education, and more. Yet Paul said that God’s grace, love, and compassion were so powerful that they broke through the cultural norms and through the pain and shame that sought to isolate people.
Being personal and vulnerable isn’t easy, especially in the midst of our “highlight reel” culture, pain, shame, and the attacks of the enemy. But if we want healing and community, we have to rebel against everything in us that wants to hide. We need safe places to be real, heard, and honest. Safe places to shed fear and shame. Safe places to confess. We need people who will respond to us with love and tender compassion, and we need to be those people for others.
• Share grace, love, and compassion for one another. If you aren’t connected to community that’s safe and vulnerable, take a step today to do so. (One place to connect is in a Traders Point group.) If you have this type of community, reach out to tell them how grateful you are for them.
Respond
Use your Philippians Guidebook to reflect and respond to today’s reading. For a digital copy of the guidebook, visit tpcc.org/rebels-guide.
Want to go deeper? Look up the following verses to see what Jesus said about loving each other and what His brother James said leads to healing. Note what you observe and then continue with your time of response.
• John 13:34-35
• James 5:16