The Sweetness of Christ Flowing Out of Our Lives

Have you ever been really thirsty? I mean having such a dry parched mouth that it sticks together? You’re in a place of oppressive heat; its consuming and you cannot escape it. You walk left and walk right and cannot find a place of solace, a place of respite. You venture over the sandy hill and there in the distance at the bottom of your view is a beautiful glade, green and lush. You hurry your pace and find a flowing beautiful shady brook. Your hand discovers cool and clear water so clean. You satisfy your thirst and a coolness sweeps over you like a calm of a gentle rain; it is sweet and it satisfies. What a picture.

In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul starts with this idea. He says, “If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind. He uses the term consolation, that is simply, a “sweetness” in Christ. You get that? Think about this: the sweetness of Christ should so exude from our lives that we are like a refreshing drink of cool water to the dry around us; that we are a cool calm to the hot torrent of life to those who are our friends in Christ, and to the thirsty world….a satisfying drink. Ah, but read on dear friend.

You will notice that Paul teaches here to illustrate this thought: Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind. [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. He calls us to a place of humility, one contrary to strife or vainglory. Each of us is to esteem others better than ourselves. Contrary to the world, we are to put others before our own life. Jesus taught, to die to ourselves; He taught to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is sacrifice; this is sweetness. How is your sweetness towards others? Do you have the “mind of Christ? Paul commands us to have the Mind of Christ, verse 5, one that embraces sacrifice and slavery to God; one that commands sweetness to others. Let your sweetness wrap its splendor to reach the thirsty. In His Honor! Sherrell