“In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
Each one of us needs other people to watch out for us—to defend us, protect us, and help us stay on track. In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us that we should look out for each other’s interests, not just our own. What a countercultural verse! In many cultures today, it’s all about me—my needs, my interests, my wants, and my ambitions. But Paul teaches us to look out for others too.
In the last few decades, we have become much more vigilant for each other as acts of terrorism and violence become more frequent. But did you know you have an enemy far more destructive than terrorists? You have a personal enemy who wants to defeat you. His name is Satan. He wants to bring problems into your life, ruin your relationships, and hurt you as badly as he can.
Why does he want to hurt you? Because he wants to hurt God, but he can’t, and so he goes after God’s children. On your own, you will never win against Satan. But when you have other people to watch out for you and help you, you can be victorious.
Here’s good advice from Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” (NIV).
Does anyone have your back? Is anyone defending you and watching out for your spiritual welfare? You need a community of people who are saying to you: “We’ll be with you when you’re going through tough times. We’re not going to let you get discouraged or depressed.”
Community is God’s answer to defeat. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (NIV).
Remember: You can try, but you can’t live life well on your own. We all need other people to walk with us, work with us, and watch out for us.
You don’t have to watch your back because you have God’s family all around you. When you depend on them, you’ll stand firm in faith and truth.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
Who has your back or is looking out for you?
How do those people show concern for your spiritual development and safety? How can you show the same concern for other believers?
In what ways have you seen the power of community to defeat the attacks of Satan?
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
In many cultures today, it’s all about me—my needs, my interests, my wants, and my ambitions. But God made us to look out for each other. Read more about why you need God’s family in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
40 Days of Community – 2023, Community, Dependence, God’s Family, Encouragement, Adversity, Christian Living, Philippians 2, Ecclesiastes 4
Broadcast Series: 40 Days of Community – 2023
Sermon Series: 40 Days of Community
Sermon: 016201_Why We Need Each Other
