If…Then Love (Part 1)

By DeLano Sheffield

June 3, 2023

Scripture — Philippians 2:1-2 (NRSV)

If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Focus

If Paul’s “if” is conditional but not likely, then comfort in Christ, consolation, partnership, affection and sympathy are rooted in stipulations. And the good life we are hoping to live is predicated on favorable circumstances or the right people in our lives. But when if is better understood as since, it opens the door to a good life irrespective of what may come our way.

Devotion

What a difference one word makes in the world. One single word can turn the most discouraging circumstances into hope. In college I was stuck grinding through an architecture studio course because I lost my wallet. I told my parents that I needed supplies to finish the project. My mom began to call me repeatedly, saying “Your dad is coming.” I would worry, then remember her words. Then just like that, someone from my hall said “Your dad is here.” The word changed the outlook for my GPA.

Paul gave the saints in Philippi a repeated message also. We read “if” in our culture as a hypothetical without giving it any further thought. What if we read it as a condition that is highly probable? It’s like saying “if you breathe regularly your body will get oxygen.”

If Paul’s “if” is conditional but not likely, then comfort in Christ, consolation, partnership, affection and sympathy are rooted in stipulations. And the good life we are hoping to live is predicated on favorable circumstances or the right people in our lives. But when if is better understood as since, it opens the door to a good life irrespective of what may come our way.

When if becomes since, there are promises that change life and our outlook on life. Paul—in prison—is convinced of this. Indeed, Paul is in prison but even in those dire circumstances he is convinced that there is comfort. He was shouldering real trouble; the same type of trouble the rest of the churches were enduring. But there was consolation or solace in that trouble. Paul was disconnected from the churches he served but even in separation there was a partnership.

We hear and read a lot of “if statements” as if they are wishes. But Paul reminded the Philippians what is good and noble to think on is the likelihood of comfort. Since there is Christ, then there is love. And that love looks for the best possibility in the most dire of circumstances, just like Christ did with the cross.

Reflect

What do you think the Philippians thought about when they understood what Paul was actually saying?

Act

What promises in this life have you placed in the “could be” bucket that should be in the “since this is true” bucket? What promises has God made for your neighbor that you interpret as “if?” Take some time and reevaluate those conditions in light of God who never fails.

Pray

God, we are so grateful that you do not look at us as a “maybe” or “if.” Teach us to love you more without hesitation or constraint. Make it really clear what real solace, comfort, partnership, and affection should look like in the world. Start with me, God. Amen.

Banner image by Faris Mohammed on Unsplash.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project’s online commentary. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Do Your Work in a Worthy Manner (Philippians 1:27–2:11).


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DeLano Sheffield

Author & Business Resource Specialist

DeLano J. Sheffield is the Business Resource Specialist for Goodwill of MoKan where he connects to people on the fringes, training them to reach their full potential through learning and the power of work; he also is on the frontlines of the advances of the fourth industrial revolution and coa...

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