One of the hardest things for any Christian is to be consistent in following the example of Jesus. As GK Chesterton said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” But there is much to be gained from the trying. This is the day that the Lord, in his love, has made. Let us find ways to rejoice in it. I invite you to get a Bible and work through the prayers, scripture reading, questions, and devotional reading below. May the Lord bless you as you do so. And may the Spirit of God work in each of us to shape us to be a little more like Jesus, today.

— Praise God with Me: (1)
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
He was wounded for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniquities.
Upon him was the chastisement
that makes us whole,
and with his stripes we are healed.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd
and gather the lambs in his arms.

— Let us read and reflect on Scripture:
A little background: The church in Philippi was a good church, but like all churches it had a few problems. Specifically, two women who were church leaders were not at peace with one another and the church was threatened with division. The Apostle Paul wrote them this letter, in part to encourage friends in the church to focus on Christ and put their differences aside. He encouraged them to imitate the humility of the one they called Lord. Read the passage in full and answer the questions.

Come Holy Spirit, help us to remember who we are and who you are!
Philippians 2:1-11 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

— Answer these four questions:
What does this passage say about God?
What does this passage say about people?
As a result of this reading, what is one step God is inviting you to take?
Who is one person you will tell about that step today?

— With a Heart of Prayer, Let us Respond: (2)
God of compassion, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you reconciled your people to yourself.
Following his example, may we obey you with willing hearts be reconciled to one another as we serve one another in holy love through Jesus Christ. Amen.

— Let’s Gather Wisdom from One Who Walked with Christ before us: (3)
Without Christ, we should not know God; we could not call upon him, nor come to him. But without Christ, we also could not know our brother, nor could we come to him. The way is blocked by our own ego. Christ opened the way to God and to our brother. Now Christians can live with one another in peace; they can love and serve one another; they can become one. But they can continue to do tso only by way of Jesus Christ. Only by way of Jesus Christ are we one , only through him are we bound together. To eternity he remains the one mediator.

— Let this glorify God today: (4)
May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest in you,
that your lives may be a light to the world;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Sources:
(1) Based on Isaiah 40:11; 53:4-5 as found in The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.
(2) From The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources, edited.
(3) From Life Together, 1937 Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(4) From The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.