From January to March at the YMCA, you will find a significant increase in traffic. The multitudes will descend on the gym to work out and make “this year” the year they get in shape. I always look forward to the middle or end of March when the crowded gym clears out and accessibility to different areas returns to “pre rush hour” levels. People become distracted, busy with life, and fall back into their old habits (pass the ice cream!).
What keeps you motivated? Is it peer-to-peer comparison or financial gain? Is it recognition or praise? Is it fear or embarrassment? Our motivations often vary depending on the task at hand. Let me ask a more pointed question: what keeps your walk with Jesus motivated? You will find that the answer to this question is not accidental or happenstance, but it is more so, purposeful. We must purposely pursue a motivated love for others and a spirit of unity in the church. Let’s look at the motivational plan Paul lays out for the Philippian church as he calls them to love and unity.
The Plan: Love & Unity. Philippians 2:1-4
Context: In chapter 1:27-29, the Philippians found joy in obeying Jesus, in fighting the good fight of faith, and in cheerfully walking the pathway of suffering (Philippians 1:27-29). The conclusion of the first section of Philippians was to show yourselves to be true citizens of God’s kingdom by your humility and unity of spirit. (Vincent Word Studies)
Philippians chapter 2 begins with the call for like-mindedness and low-mindedness – embracing the model of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. In essence, kindness is key. Paul begins with listing motives for brotherly love in verse one:
CONSOLATION (you receive from Christ):
Consolation in Christ - comfort or encouragement. The motive here is to console others as you have personally received such comfort and encouragement from Jesus.
LOVE (you have received from Christ):
Comfort of love – This is comfort in the exercise of tender affection. This is comfort that flows out of love. Our happiness is mostly concentrated in love. When we experience the love of God, the love of Christians, or the love of other people we are most happy. Hatred brings misery, but love brings joy! The motive here is the joy received when you experience comfort that overflows from exercising this same love to others. (Barnes Notes Commentary)
RELATIONSHIP (you have enjoyed with Christ):
Fellowship of the Spirit – “Fellowship” points to that which the church was partaking together. To some extent, the church shared the influences, views, and joys of the Holy Spirit. The motive here is for the church to pursue unity, love, and zeal among themselves so that they might enjoy the fellowship of the Spirit to the highest degrees.
COMPASSION (you have received from Christ):
Bowels & Mercies– the Hebrews would use this term to refer to the seat of their most tender affections…especially kindness, benevolence, compassion. “Mercies” uses the Greek word that can be translated compassion or pity as well. This is the idea of a heart of compassion. The motive here is choosing a tender, kind-hearted compassion towards others, just as Jesus shows to the church amid its imperfections.
Years ago, my family studied Taekwondo. At one point in our weekly lessons, our instructor was working on our core balance. As a result, we were instructed to balance ourselves on one foot. We were doing really well until the instructor approached us individually and started making fast movements towards us (but never actually touching us). The natural response to these distractions was to protect ourselves and move away…and we would lose our balance and fail the exercise.
Life is full of unfair and hard things that move us to protect ourselves. That gut response of self-defense gets us off balance and off mission.
Matthew Henry explains these verses -- “We must be severe upon our own faults, and quick in observing our own defects, but ready to make favorable allowances for others. We must kindly care for others, but not be busy bodies in other men’s matters. Neither inward nor outward peace can be enjoyed, without lowliness of mind.”
The theme in chapter two is a powerful call for the love they have experienced with Jesus and for the unity they have enjoyed with God Himself to be reflected in and through them – to live the gospel with those around them! Look at the overview of love and unity in chapter 2 that the Jamieson, Faucett, & Brown Commentary spells out:
Philippians 2:3 speaks of humility (lowliness of mind)
Philippians 2:4-8 speaks of yielding one’s rights just as Christ did in life and in death
Philippians 2:9-11 speaks of exaltation that God gave to true humility
Philippians 2:12,13 speaks of careful attention to living the gospel
Philippians 2:14,15 speaks of obeying God’s will for the purpose of a strong testimony to the ever watching bystanders
Philippians 2:16-18 speaks of joy that flows from faithful love and unity among the church.
Philippians 2:19-30 speaks of a love for Timothy and Epaphroditus and that he would be sending them with the same (unified) message.
Our motivation to love others is strengthened when we choose to console others, when we choose to pursue the joy received from comforting others, when we choose to pursue unity with the church, and when we choose to live out tender, kind-hearted compassion.
When our children reached the age to drive a car, we asked them to take on the financial responsibility of what it took to drive. So, they paid for their own driver education classes. They also paid for their own car insurance, and when the time came, they paid for their own car. We also told them that any speeding tickets they received would be their responsibility – and if the insurance bill went up because of said tickets, they paid for the increase. Why did we do that? Because a little skin in the game is a powerful motivator! We tend to think twice about a decision when we have to consider the cost.
Embrace the powerful motivators the Lord has declared in Philippians 2 to live the gospel in practicing love for others!