Senior Pastor’s Devotional
Day 51 Movement Control Order – “Strategic Psalm 91 Watch”
SCRIPTURES TO READ:- PHILIPPIANS 2:19-30.
LESSON TO BE LEARNT: “Are You A Joy To Others?”
Will our presence and our lives bring joy to others OR are we being looked upon as a person who always needs attention?
We call this type of people as “high maintenance” people.We call this type of people as “high maintenance” people.
Out of all the different challenges that we face in our daily life, it is the challenge of facing people.
The gist of today’s study is to evaluate whether “we are a joy to others”. There were 2 persons who brought great joy to Paul.
1. Timothy.
Read Philippians 2:19-22. Timothy was a joy to Paul and he appreciated him. What was that of Timothy in which Paul was pleased with? Everyone look out for their own interest but Timothy put the Lord’s interest above all el
Timothy was a person who takes a genuine interest in others’ welfare. He was a blessing to Paul and others.
We must intentionally reach out and not always wait for others to ‘service’ us. We must be reminded to be the agent of God’s love.
As Jesus himself said….”I have come to serve and not to be served.”
The difficulty on our part is sometimes due to our “busy lifestyle” OR due to our own background which is not used to serve others
So, have you been a joy to others? It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Timothy started off as Paul’s helper. Subsequently what was he entrusted to do? Please read 2 Timothy 4:1-5. What principle can you learn here, in the sense of how he started off and what he subsequently became?
Subsequently, Timothy became a pastor, preaching and teaching the people as he does the ministry. It is the principle of servant hood that we can see from here. “Discipleship comes before Leadership”.
As Jesus taught, ‘if anyone wants to be great, he must first be a servant to all.” It is in “little things” that we will faithfully do, then we will be entrusted with “bigger things”.)
2. Epaphroditus. (Phil. 2:25-30)
In verse 25, Epaphroditus was mentioned as Paul’s ‘brother’; ‘fellow worker ’ and ‘fellow soldier’.
-This implies that he was a balanced person who knows how to have a good relationship with others as well as a good worker for God.
-He was so committed that apart from helping his church to bring the offerings to Paul, he was risking his life for the sake of the work of God.
-the greatest enemy that Christians face is when we are just having a good time ‘among ourselves”- in fellowship, in the comfort of the church and forgot the society that is in need of our help. We do not know how to make sacrifices. This is what it means by ‘playing church.’
Conclusion:-
Pause and think for a while. When was the last time that you was a blessing to someone – with a help rendered; with a word of encouragement; with a gift etc? Have I been a joy to others?
Ps Lawrence.