Unity in Everything

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ...then make my joy complete by being like-minded...  Phil. 2:1-2

From Guest Blogger Jim Wiebel:

We sat in our seats listening to the orchestra tuning before the performance was about to begin. Musical notes in several different keys filled the air from the strings, wind instruments, brass, and percussion. It was the musical equivalent of running your fingers down an old chalkboard, though only slightly less ear-piercing!

After a minute or so, the lead violinist stood and offered a single note. Within a few seconds, all the other musicians began playing that same, simple “A” on their instruments…harmony at last! What followed was an outstanding performance of “Carmen” by the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, with all instrumentalists doing their part to beautifully accompany the huge community chorus standing behind them. A wonderful musical experience, indeed, for all of us who filled the PAC that evening! It was like watching a highly complex piece of machinery with all its cogs and wheels working together in perfect harmony.

That’s a bit like what Paul is urging on the little church in Philippi. On stage, the musicians were not out for their own individual glory at each other’s expense. If one single musician had tried to steal the limelight from the others, the whole thing would have fallen apart. It only worked because everyone was working together with the same object in mind: to present the very best performance for their audience. That’s how Christ intends his church to act, as well: Unity in Everything!

Then Paul tells us how to do it. “Hold on to the same love; bring your innermost lives into harmony; fix your minds on the same object. Never act out of selfish ambition or vanity; instead, regard everybody else as your superior. Look after each other’s best interests, not your own” (Phil. 2:2-4).

In other words, everyone must be focused on something other than themselves; and that something is Jesus Christ himself — the King and Lord — under whom “all things in heaven and earth are going to one day be united!” (Eph. 1:10) In the next few verses (5-11), Paul will spell this out gloriously in a beautiful poem about Christ himself. You can read about it in tomorrow’s post.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for the encouragement you offer us thru the example of your own sacrificial love. May your Spirit help us to look out for each other’s best interests, and not just our own. Amen.


#Uncommon