The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 NKJV.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1.

In our chapter, Philippians 2, Paul is reminding us what is so needed for our healing that we can experience with Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, unified in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. v. 1-11. Do we sometimes wonder how that will be possible, for every knee to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD? In this physical life in every age of mankind, yes, how can we help but wonder how. I think when we finally understand the enormity of all that Jesus has done for us in the Father’s Love…when all of us, every single person is finally gathered together from every age of mankind…it will be impossible to understand how it could not be so, in utmost love on all our part. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly. But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me. v. 12-30.

Reading these letters that Paul wrote to the early churches can, if we let them, bring us right into the lives of the early followers of Jesus, the Son. We experience that connection though over two thousand years has rolled passed eventfully. We need that connection today. We need to understand that the passage of time does not change the importance of our following Jesus today. We too can hold fast to the Word of Life, for it is God who is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. What is His good pleasure but our encouragement in Christ…our consolation of love…our fellowship with the Spirit, our affection and compassion…having this attitude in ourselves which was also in Christ Jesus…holding fast to the Word of Life, which is the Father’s Love. How do we begin to do that without God Himself helping us? As we look for help in this life, I pray we look up to Creator God. I pray it is Him we see going before us and encouraging us. Because He is God With Us. With Him our healing can begin. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14. That promise still holds true today as does our need for Him to bring us out of the land of slavery to sin. He is the only One who can. It begins in our heart trusting Him. Will you follow Him today? The mind controlled by the Spirit is Life and Peace. His Life and His Peace working in us and in our world in ways we can’t begin to fathom. But as we keep our eyes on Him, we begin to see unfolding in our walk with Him what is beautiful and good and needed. His Love always given for our good with Him and one another, His children dearly loved.