Regard for One Another

These precious kindergartners, from the school where my husband is Head of School,

sent me this poster...a flower pot of their handprints and their memory verse for the week...

For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:37

October 5

Slowly, I'm catching back up on my missed David Paul Tripp devotionals.  They were all right on for where I was in the stroke battle.  September 21st had Tripp writing..."we are willing to settle for far too little. Our personal goals, wishes, and dreams fall short of God's plans and purposes for us...We want God's work to be an event rather than a process, and when it's not, our commitment begins to lag."

Whoa!  That was the day I was in the rehab hospital and rolled into therapy in a wheelchair and the new therapist said, "So when do you see yourself going home?"  I realized most people after being paralyzed would be happy to be getting in and out of a wheelchair and heading home, but not me...my goals were bigger.  But as Tripp says, as time tarries and the process isn't quick, our commitment begins to waiver.  I really don't think I'd be pushing so hard without doctors, therapists, friends and family cheering me on.

So how does that characteristic of persevering and wanting God's best, translate into what he is wanting to do with us spiritually?  For me, I think God wants me to remember how powerful the encouragement from others element has been and to take that up a notch as I encounter people every day.

As thankful as I am to be so improved, I miss the therapy room at In-Patient rehab.  The love we patients had for one another and our therapists was instinctive and sincere.  The verses below which state: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others," rings so true for that setting.  We were genuinely cheering each other on, hour after hour and the staff working so tirelessly day after day.  That experience has forever changed me.

Tripp suggest camping out in Philippians 2:1-8.  I hope you find a new nugget to take away from this passage today.
Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will [i]prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.