eDevotion
Encouragement for your daily walk with God
Christmas has its own character. For Christ followers, it’s about “A Savior is Born!” In the business world, it’s about stuff. And all that stuff has to be wrapped up. I’ve had stuff so beautifully wrapped, I didn’t want to tear the paper off. On the other hand, I’m rather embarrassed at my gift of gift wrapping. I’m a lot like the Staples Christmas commercials that show gifts under a tree. The items are wrapped so that you can immediately identify them: an electric drill, a doll, and my favorite, a dog…with its tail wagging!
A good question to think about this morning is, how are you wrapped up? I humbly suggest that you wrap yourself up in Jesus [my loose translation of Romans 13:14 - Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. [NIV]
A Christ follower so clothed is not self-centered, but other-minded. An other-minded person is a blessing to others as Christ would have them to be. John Ruskin is said to have come up with this little quip, "A person wrapped up in himself makes a very small package." Small, indeed, and of limited value to others.
A Spirit-filled person is not wrapped up in himself. Timothy was such a Christ follower. Here’s what Paul said about him, “I have nobody else with a genuine interest in your well-being. All the others seem to be wrapped up in their own affairs and do not really care for the business of Jesus Christ. But you know how Timothy has proved his worth, working with me for the Gospel like a son with his father" [Philippians 2:20-22, Phillips Translation].
We would do well to be like Timothy — wrapped up in Jesus!
[Timothy] is the only one who shares my feelings and who really cares about you. Everyone else is concerned only with their own affairs, not with the cause of Jesus Christ. And you yourselves know how he has proved his worth, how he and I, like a son and his father, have worked together for the sake of the gospel. Philippians 2:20-22 [Good News Translation]
We would do well to be like Timothy — wrapped up in Jesus!
[Timothy] is the only one who shares my feelings and who really cares about you. Everyone else is concerned only with their own affairs, not with the cause of Jesus Christ. And you yourselves know how he has proved his worth, how he and I, like a son and his father, have worked together for the sake of the gospel. Philippians 2:20-22 [Good News Translation]
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