– Scripture:

              Rejoicing Together

Do everything readily and cheerfully; no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.

                       Philippians 2:14 MSG

– Reflection:

What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should keep doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have reasonable cause to be proud of you on the day Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing. Even if I am executed here and now, I’ll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ’s altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout’s fair play—you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don’t feel sorry for me.

Where do we go from here?

Follow the scripture above, and rejoice with one another. Each time something significant happens, sharing that with your close groups and others is okay for those who really are followers of Christ and understand all of the work and emotion that went into your win or your win for your group over a community event that went flawlessly. Those people will rejoice with you; for everyone else, it doesn’t matter what they think. You did that work for the Kingdom period.

Our Prayer for Today

 Father, thank you for giving milestones to rejoice over. Loving us enough to allow us the ability to share in the vision that you have for the world and our piece of it. It is always an honor and a pleasure to do the work of the Kingdom for the Kingdom. Amen