Working out God’s Natural Care


For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. (Phil 2:20-21)


Our cares betray our seeking. What is natural to us is ‘self’ but God desires that He build into us a care for others. To care for others beyond self is to ensure the best of the other. Jesus willingly lay down His rights and even reputation (Phil 2:6, 7) to fulfill the Father’s will…. ‘Thy will be done’ (Matt 26:42), the cup of self suffering has taken last place. It mattered most to Jesus that the Father’s will be done. Thus our prayer is the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10).


Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; (Matt 5:23)


There are situations in our life when God doesn’t desire our sacrifice, no matter how much it cost us. One of these situations is when there is a break down in relationship. Jesus didn’t say if we have something against someone else, but someone else has something against us. To win over an offended brother or sister ‘is harder to be won than a strong city’ (Prov 18:19), thus our ‘natural-self’ is one that would try cover up offense by our religious fervency. Offense toward each other bring about bitterness which Paul ask us to ‘put away’ with the correct response of being ‘kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you’ (Eph 4:31, 32). If Paul says to ‘put away’, it does not mean we have to fast, pray or perform any great spiritual feats, but reminding us that we have to put our will to doing it.


The working out is to ‘leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift’ (Matt 5:24). Working this out is seeking the things which are Jesus Christ’s, because He forgave that we can forgive.


Is there a brother, a sister, an in-law, a father, a mother, etc that we need to be reconciled? Are we willing to have the mind of Christ to lay aside our reputation as He has given us the ‘ministry of reconciliation’ (2 Cor 5:18)? He has given us this ministry; hence there is no need for us to pray or even fast over it. If this person is still alive, it is time we write that letter, pick up the phone or make that visit to reconcile, lest our offering of service to the Holy God is not received. If this person has passed on, work it out with the Lord; ‘Against thee, thee only, have I sinned…’ (Psa 51:4).


How sweet it is to the Lord, for He will not despise such a broken and contrite heart (Psa 51:17).