Texas
Ranger baseball player Josh Hamilton has battled the demons of drug and alcohol
addiction. So when his team won their playoff series in 2010, Hamilton was
concerned about the postgame celebration. He admitted that it’s not good for a
recovering alcoholic to be in the midst of a “rainstorm” of champagne. But
something beautiful happened. Instead of champagne, his teammates stocked the
locker room with ginger ale so that Hamilton could be included in the
celebration. What a great picture of community and putting others’ needs above
your own.
This is
what Paul meant when he commanded the Philippians to count others as more
significant than themselves (2:3-4). Being united to Christ made the Philippian
believers members of the same family and gave them a special bond. Thus their
attitude toward one another was to be expressed in practical ways: unity in
love, sacrificial service, and discovering how to help others even when they didn’t
realize they needed help. The motivation for this type of normal Christian
behavior is the example of Jesus Christ.
Like Hamilton’s teammates, let’s carry each other’s burdens. When we selflessly love our neighbors, we are expressing our love for God.
Godlike love is seen in good works.
(RBC)
