“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:” (Philippians 1:1, ESV)

Paul and Timothy! Timothy and Paul! They go together. They work together. They are partners in the gospel.

Paul is the mentor. Timothy is the protègè. It is Paul that was likely responsible for the content of Philippians. But there would not be a Book of Philippians without Timothy.

Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome. He would have spent his day chained to a Roman soldier. But Timothy was there to record the words on behalf of Paul. Paul would dictate and Timothy would write. There is no doubt that Timothy helped to edit the letter with Paul.

Paul was the mentor but he could not have written Philippians without Timothy. Timothy was the man he was because of Paul. Paul meant so much to Timothy there was little that Timothy would not do for Paul. Paul would share how Timothy was like a son who had proven his worth as he served the gospel (see Philippians 2:2). When everyone else had abandoned Paul, Timothy was still there.

Paul was widely recognized for his accomplishments. He had suffered much but God had worked mightily through him. Now Paul was at a point in his life where he was in need. And now his protègè was there to aid.

There are some of us who are eager to serve as Timothy. We look to help others. We are eagar to do so. It makes us feel good to be able to serve.

But when our time to be Paul comes, we are not always enthusiastic. We resist being perceived as in need. Our pride fears that others will pity us.

One thing I often encounter in the church is that we are prideful people. We have a hard time admitting our need. We have a hard time receiving help and aid from others. Our identity is tied up in being self-sufficient.

The problem this causes is that we rob others of their opportunity to serve. Think about your own eagerness to serve others. People want to help and we take their ability to do so when we resist asking for help.

The second problem is that we continue to suffer because we fail to get the help that we need. Life would be so much easier if we got more comfortable leaning on one another.

We are better together. One of the best things we can do is to let go of our “I don’t need anyone attitude.” The American ideal is to be self-made. But the hard truth is that no one is self-made. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by our loving creator who designed us to be dependent upon one another.

One of the most powerful things you can do for yourself is to ask for help. Who will you ask for help today? Who will you give the opportunity to serve?

I did not plan to generate a new Bible Reading Plan for 2020. But I had a number of requests to do so. So I am publishing the reading plan I am using for 2020.

The plan is a 5 day/week plan. Each day has three readings. One reading is from the Old Testament Historical Books. A second reading is from the Old Testament Writings & Prophets. A third reading is from the New Testament.

If this is your first time reading the Bible, my suggestion is to read the New Testament readings and skip the Old Testament ones. I have also included a print-out for the New Testament Reading plan.

I used Logos Bible Software to generate this plan. It is what I use for my Bible Study and sermon preparation. My prayer is that you will be blessed as you engage with God’s Word in 2020.

Additionally:

Here we go! We are in the final stretch. There are only days left until Christmas. You might be squeezing in an order with Amazon Prime one-day shipping. You may be packing to travel. Or you have grocery shopping to complete before family arrives. As a pastor, I am busy making the last-minute preparations for Christmas Eve services.

If there is one word to describe the way I am feeling right now it would be hurried. I feel rushed to get everything done. And if I am honest, I will admit that the hurriedness zaps some of the joy out of the stuff I am doing. I love the things that I am doing, but it can become overwhelming with so much all at once.

When we are hurried:

• Our relationships can suffer. We get short with others, especially those who are close to us.
• Our health suffers. Our blood pressure rises. The anxiety causes undue stress on our bodies. There are negative consequences to our overall physical health.
• Our work suffers. When we are hurried, we often fail to give any one thing the attention that it deserves. We lose the drive to give our work our best effort.

The fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23) include things like love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. Those things are rarely experienced when we are rushed. The fruit of the Spirit is not about being a hurried mess.

This is one of my biggest challenges. I am constantly rushed. It is part of my nature. There are times I will tell myself to slow down. One of the places I am most rushed is when I am driving. As part of the effort to slow down, I will get in the slow lane while driving. I insist that I will not be rushed to get where I am going. Even if I get passed by five cars, I am going to take my time. Then the cars will start passing me. One car will go by. Then two. Then three. Then four. Then five. When the sixth car goes by, I will give up. And it will be back into the fast lane.

I realize that my effort to slow down is my effort. I am relying on my own strength rather than the strength that God provides. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. It is not a fruit of my effort. And when I am hurried, it is a signal that I have made it about what I am doing for God rather than what I am doing with God.

As we enter the stretch run, pause right now. Ask for God’s presence to enter in. Pray that you would experience his super-natural power to slow down even when you are being pulled to be so busy. You will not be able to slow down on your own. But he will give you all the strength you need.

Reflection

1. Are you feeling rushed and hurried these final days before Christmas?
2. How have you seen God provide the ability for you to slow down and appreciate the moment?

Prayer

Lord, we are just a few days away from celebrating Jesus’ birthday. We easily get anxious and overwhelmed by the busyness of the season. We ask that you would enter into our minds and heart. Give us your calm and peace. Help us to celebrate the moment and be present with those we love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me because the LORD has anointed me… to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit… (Isaiah 61:1–3, ESV)

We live in amazing times! Have you paid attention to the incredible people around you? Have you noticed the unprecedented conveniences and luxuries before you? Have you recognized the overwhelming beauty of creation? Have you grasped how marvelously and wonderfully you were made? We have opportunities and possibilities that have never been possible before now.

But as good as it gets, it never seems good enough. There is always something about which we can complain. The lines are long. The internet is slow. The kids are messy. The weather is terrible. The ticket is expensive. The customer service is poor. The church is not meeting my needs. On and on it goes.

A few months ago, I had a friend post a complaint on his Facebook about people always complaining. I replied to ask him if he realized that he was complaining about complaining. He had not noticed what he was doing. When I pointed it out, he quickly removed his post.

Sometimes we don’t notice it. It is so ingrained in us. There is no end to the things about which we complain. If you took an inventory of the things you have complained about today, how long would that list be? If you trained a video camera on yourself for a day, you might be surprised at the negativity that you spew.

Put on Garment of Praise

What would happen if you looked to intentionally praise rather than unknowingly complain? Rather than pick out all that is wrong, start to lift up all that is right. Compliment and praise the people around you. Appreciate the conveniences and be grateful for the luxuries that you get to enjoy. Watch how your perspective changes.

And make sure that you praise God! There is a reason that we sing and proclaim the goodness of God. When we praise him, it draws us a bit closer to heaven. We are raised above the challenges we face in this world. We start to see how God is bigger than any of the obstacles we might face.

It can be challenging to put on a garment of praise when we are surrounded by negativity. Complaining tends to breed complaining. Negativity is infectious. If you have people in your life who are pulling you down, consider finding other people who will raise you up.

Reflection

1. Do you know a person who always complains? How do you feel about being around that person?
2. How can you be more intentional in offering praise rather than complaint?

Prayer

Lord, forgive my complaining spirit. I easily allow my thoughts and words to turn negative. Rather than appreciating my blessings, I become enraged by minor inconveniences. Help me to praise others, to be grateful for my blessings, and to glorify your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen!