Christ Enables Us to Do Spiritual Good
Various members wrote the daily devotional for our recent church camp. This meditation on Philippians 2:1-11 was written by Fiona Teong.
Adoration
The passage reminds us that the Holy Spirit’s dwelling in us enables us to follow Christ’s example of humility, love and obedience. The same power that raised Christ from the dead now resides within us, empowering us to do spiritual good to one another. In His grace and goodness, He transforms us from self-centered, prideful individuals into humble, servant-hearted disciples of Christ.
Praise God for His infinite grace, and mercy towards us. We thank Him for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to live among us and to reveal His heart of love and compassion. We marvel at the humility and selflessness of Christ, “who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Praise God for Christ’s obedience, He who humbly submitted himself to God’s will and drank the cup of suffering and death on the cross for our sake. We thank Him for the new life that we have in Him. We rejoice that Christ is now exalted at His right hand, and that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
We praise God for the body of Christ, which He has called us to be a part of. The diverse gifts, talents, and personalities He has given us, and for the ways in which we complement and strengthen one another. We can’t help but marvel at His wisdom and sovereignty which brings together people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences to form a beautiful tapestry of grace.
Meditation and application
As we meditate on Philippians 2, we recognise that doing spiritual good to one another is rooted in the gospel message. Christ's humility and sacrifice for us serve as the ultimate example of how we should live and interact with one another. Our shared identity in Christ enables us to put aside selfish ambition and look to the interests of others. We serve one another and bear each other's burdens, knowing that He bore the greatest burden of all on the cross.
God's grace enables us to be vulnerable, admit we need help, and give ourselves to one another. By listening to others, serving them and praying for them, we can put aside our own desires and agendas and look to the interests of others. Being open with our struggles reminds us of our need for God’s grace, and encourages others to do the same.
Personally, I struggle with the fear of how others perceive me and worry that they might not like the real me if they knew all my imperfections, weaknesses and sins. As a result, I often found myself trying to please people and present a perfect image of myself. But through my struggles with sin, I learnt that my fight wasn’t just against the fear of man, but also against self-sufficiency and pride. I realised that I couldn’t do it on my own and that I needed to rely on God to help me be honest and vulnerable with others. Through His grace and strength, I’ve been able to overcome these struggles and learn the importance of doing spiritual good to one another by being transparent about challenges and by encouraging others to do the same.
May we always be reminded of Christ's love and sacrifice for us, and reflect that love in our relationships with one another. It is only through Christ's example and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can truly love and serve one another.
Prayer
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and empowerment in our lives to imitate Christ
Pray that God would give us humility to consider others as more important than ourselves—to put aside our own desires/ agenda and look to the interest of others.
Pray that we would deepen our relationships with one another—being open, humble, slow to judge and quick to listen, showing patience and grace towards flaws and sin.