Like a Symphony

Hi, friend.

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today is titled, Like a Symphony, and it was written by Glenn Pacchium. I surprised my wife with concert tickets to listen to a performer she'd always wanted to see. The gifted singer was accompanied by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and the setting was the matchless venue at Red Rocks, an open-air amphitheater built between two 300-foot rock formations at more than 6,000 feet above sea level. The orchestra played a number of well-loved classical songs and folk tunes. Their final number was a fresh treatment of the classic hymn, Amazing Grace. The beautiful harmonized arrangement took our breath away.

There is something beautiful about harmony, individual instruments playing together in a way that creates a bigger and more layered sonic landscape. The Apostle Paul pointed to the beauty of harmony when he told the Philippians to be like-minded, have the same love, and be one in spirit and mind. He wasn't asking them to become identical, but to embrace the humble attitude and self-giving love of Jesus. The Gospel, as Paul well knew and taught, doesn't erase our distinctions, but it can eliminate our divisions. It's also interesting that many scholars believe Paul's words here are a prelude to an early hymn.

Here's the point. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through our distinct lives and contexts, making us more like Jesus, together we become a symphony that reverberates with a humble, Christ-like love. Now let's go to one of Paul's epistles.

It's from Philippians, the second chapter, verses one through eleven. Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. Being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Now would you pray with me? Dear Jesus, thank you for saving us and calling us yours. In our various differences, we pray that you would create within us a spirit of unity and sacrificial love so that our lives would reflect your love to a broken and hurting world. Thank you, Lord. It's in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.