Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? (Phillipians 2:1 NLT)

 That’s a valid question that Paul poses to the folks in Phillipi, how about us in the boro?  Is there any encouragement? He goes on to ask any comfort in His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit?…..(Phillipians 2:1 NLT)

 What does that have to do with community bivo? Well think about this for a bit. Our brother Paul spent his life encouraging, teaching, wherever he traveled. He traveled over 10,000 miles that is able to be recorded in scripture, yet that doesn’t take into account the daily travels inside the 60 plus cities he landed. So he may have traveled up to 20,000 miles in his Jesus skin….at first blush that seems like alot of miles and it really is, when we recall the mode of travel in his day was predominantly on foot, or by water…..to put in perspective the average person today in 2013 travels 13,000 miles a year. So what took paul a lifetime to travel we traverse in a year.

 WOWZERS….I know…. I know isn’t that cool? There was no denying that wherever Paul landed, his focus was making Jesus famous and his community was wherever he laid his head. But why?

 So many folks tell us to share Jesus with others, heck our mantra is to make HIM famous wherever we/you go. But why?

 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?……I can somewhat relate with people who are looking at us and saying to themselves “what’s the big deal”. i can remember vividly when i first attended a 12 step meeting and after several meetings and guys telling me to let go and let God, i thought i would throw the book at em hahaha….I shared with immense passion, that there is no one in the room that desires to let go and let God more than me in this moment…someone SHOW ME what that looks like.

 Some men in the room with the calmness of Jesus when he calmed the disciples down when they were scared to death in a boat that was being ravaged by a storm said “ok”….and they started showing me what living life in Christ looked like outside of the meetings and outside of an hour of worship time on a given day. I started to see that the encouragement Paul was talking about comes from serving others throughout my daily travels. Daily travels that include my home, work and community.  I saw and felt that the comfort in His love comes from beLIeVING that He made me on purpose for his purpose and by beLIeVING God is who He says He is and that I am who He says i am, i can let go of my false image of self. This false image that allows me to bench myself and not live out the uniqueness given to each of us. i then started and still  feel and fellowship (koinonia) that is real, open, honest, transparent and JOYFUL as life is shared with others without my “everything is fine” mask….my moments of being fine out number the not so cool moments a trillion fold. Simply because when the not so cool occurs, it is shared and I receive encouragement from others (body of believers, Christ) and able to offer encouragement to others as they share their whatevers in life.

 So back to Paul’s question…..Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?

Show the world your answer…

love em up!