The Fight
Philippians 2:1–4 (NLT):
“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
Let’s be honest. Relationships can be really hard. Marriage, family, and friendships all require a lot of work to become and remain healthy. And it’s often those closest to us that the enemy most desires to separate and divide, sowing seeds of disunity.
But in Philippians 2, we are reminded of what relationships are meant to look like as followers of Christ: tender and compassionate hearts, unity, a focus on the bigger picture, a willingness to serve one another, and a posture of humility that leads us to put others before ourselves.
How often do we internally process, or even outwardly say, “What about me?” Yet, in the Kingdom of God, we see the opposite is true. While we should always make sure we are in healthy relationships and boundaries are in place, our hearts should ultimately be postured to serve one another as unto the Lord.
One thing I know for sure is that the enemy hates marriages that stand for Him. He will do everything he can to destroy what God has blessed. If he can sow division and cause two hearts to turn away from each other in conflict instead of running to one another, he wins.
My husband and I just recently celebrated 33 years of marriage. We often tell people that the first ten felt very long. And to be honest, we were both in a relationship that was constantly looking inward instead of outward. We were each focused on ourselves instead of truly seeing the other person: their needs, their wants, and their desires. And the truth is, our children suffered because of it.
At Opendoor, we often say, “It’s okay not to be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way.” Our marriage was not okay. We were not okay. And yet, we chose to fight for it: through counseling, seeking Jesus, surrounding ourselves with people that could speak into our lives, and putting into practice what we were being taught. Over time, our hearts began to genuinely turn toward each other and not against one another.
Was it fixed overnight? No. But day by day, year by year, God transformed our marriage, and He still is, into a beautiful picture of His desire for us.
My encouragement to those who are married, to those who aren’t but have deep family bonds and friendships, is this: take Philippians 2 to heart. Let’s be people who love one another deeply and who choose to prefer others above ourselves. May we be people who fight for unity, not against one another, so that the enemy does not win.
We have the opportunity to show the world the heart of God in how we love and treat one another. We don’t give up. We fight, on our knees in prayer, and we allow His Spirit to guide us in every relationship so that He is glorified.
Reflection
Is there someone close to me I need to fight for instead of fighting with?
How can I intentionally work toward unity in my marriage, family, or friendships?
Where have I been saying “What about me?” What might it look like to serve instead?
Prayer | God, give us ears to hear Your voice today. Direct our attention to those around us that You have given to us. If our hearts are hard, would You soften them? Help me reflect Your tenderness, compassion, and love in everyone I encounter. May I always carry Your Spirit with me and may Your Spirit and presence change the circumstances around us. Give us ears to hear You, eyes to see You, and a heart willing to obey You. We pray this in Jesus name!
“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
Let’s be honest. Relationships can be really hard. Marriage, family, and friendships all require a lot of work to become and remain healthy. And it’s often those closest to us that the enemy most desires to separate and divide, sowing seeds of disunity.
But in Philippians 2, we are reminded of what relationships are meant to look like as followers of Christ: tender and compassionate hearts, unity, a focus on the bigger picture, a willingness to serve one another, and a posture of humility that leads us to put others before ourselves.
How often do we internally process, or even outwardly say, “What about me?” Yet, in the Kingdom of God, we see the opposite is true. While we should always make sure we are in healthy relationships and boundaries are in place, our hearts should ultimately be postured to serve one another as unto the Lord.
One thing I know for sure is that the enemy hates marriages that stand for Him. He will do everything he can to destroy what God has blessed. If he can sow division and cause two hearts to turn away from each other in conflict instead of running to one another, he wins.
My husband and I just recently celebrated 33 years of marriage. We often tell people that the first ten felt very long. And to be honest, we were both in a relationship that was constantly looking inward instead of outward. We were each focused on ourselves instead of truly seeing the other person: their needs, their wants, and their desires. And the truth is, our children suffered because of it.
At Opendoor, we often say, “It’s okay not to be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way.” Our marriage was not okay. We were not okay. And yet, we chose to fight for it: through counseling, seeking Jesus, surrounding ourselves with people that could speak into our lives, and putting into practice what we were being taught. Over time, our hearts began to genuinely turn toward each other and not against one another.
Was it fixed overnight? No. But day by day, year by year, God transformed our marriage, and He still is, into a beautiful picture of His desire for us.
My encouragement to those who are married, to those who aren’t but have deep family bonds and friendships, is this: take Philippians 2 to heart. Let’s be people who love one another deeply and who choose to prefer others above ourselves. May we be people who fight for unity, not against one another, so that the enemy does not win.
We have the opportunity to show the world the heart of God in how we love and treat one another. We don’t give up. We fight, on our knees in prayer, and we allow His Spirit to guide us in every relationship so that He is glorified.
Reflection
Is there someone close to me I need to fight for instead of fighting with?
How can I intentionally work toward unity in my marriage, family, or friendships?
Where have I been saying “What about me?” What might it look like to serve instead?
Prayer | God, give us ears to hear Your voice today. Direct our attention to those around us that You have given to us. If our hearts are hard, would You soften them? Help me reflect Your tenderness, compassion, and love in everyone I encounter. May I always carry Your Spirit with me and may Your Spirit and presence change the circumstances around us. Give us ears to hear You, eyes to see You, and a heart willing to obey You. We pray this in Jesus name!
We'd love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments what God is speaking to you as you read these devotionals. If you haven't already subscribed to receive our devotional emails right to your inbox, hit the subscribe button below and invite your family and friends to subscribe as well! Thank you for being a part of our Opendoor Devotional Community. We appreciate you!
No Comments