Fresh Start – Growing in Gratitude Towards Each Other
Philippians 1:1-11 (NIV)
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”
Growing in Gratitude
1. Intentionally look for things to be grateful for in your relationships.
Philippians 1:3 (NIV)
“I thank my God every time I remember you.”
2. Pray for the other person.
Philippians 1:4 (NIV)
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy…”
Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)
“And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ and you may be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
3. Choose to believe the best about them.
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
4. Rehearse Christ’s affection towards you.
Philippians 1:8 (NIV)
“God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”