The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 14 July 2021 – TOPIC: DO NOT BE SELF-CENTERED

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TOPIC: DO NOT BE SELF-CENTERED*READ:PHILIPPIANS 1:19-26 (NKJV)19. For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,20. according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.21. For to me, to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.22. But if [I] live on in the flesh, this [will mean] fruit from [my] labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.23. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, [which is] far better.24. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh [is] more needful for you.25. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,26. that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.*THE MESSAGE:*The passage today lays before us the desires of Paul. He desired to continue living in order to keep edifying the Church and spreading the Gospel of Christ. At the same time, he earnestly longed to depart from this world of sin and corruption to remain with the Lord in heaven, thus to rest from his labour. If he continued to live, the better for the Church, especially the Philippian Church; if he slept in the Lord, the better for him, for he would rest from the many battles of faith and persecutions he had hitherto endured. The two sides of the coin were favourable to him. Paul was in every way and every inch, profitable to the Lord. Hence, in life or death, Paul was an asset to the Lord and the Church.This is the kind of life God wants us to live as His children: A life that is not centered on self-glorification, but filled with great concern for others. Our focus should be to pour our whole life to the service of God and His Church as exemplified by Paul. We must desist from the spirit of ‘winner-takes-all’ and demonstrate the Christian virtues of love and care to as many as would need us in our Christian race.*PRAYER:* Dear Lord, give me grace to be passionate about the salvation of others, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.