The Pursuit of Happiness Daily Devotional -41

PHILIPPIANS 4:17-18 | ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account. ¹⁸ I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

Mutual sacrifice, mutual sharing, mutual dependence, mutual joy. Many organizations foster relatively thin connections between participants. Clubs share costs to build courts, fields, or courses, and perhaps hire professionals to coach. All that is shared is a love of the game and a desire for a place to practice and play. Universities foster a shared desire for useful qualifications and a network of contacts, as well as social and commercial validation.

But a church fosters a deeper kind of connection. Mutual sacrifice, mutual sharing, mutual dependence, mutual joy. We build a common life because we have a common cause—the emergence of God’s kingdom in the lives of others and in the world.

What organizations do you belong to?

How do they compare to VPC?

Tags: gift, offering