The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Philippians 2:1-4, “If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Little two-letter words are often more important than we know. The Greeks had four types of

“conditional” sentences, each one starting with the little word “if.” Paul uses the word if four times in the first verse. Each time is means “if, and it is so.” We do have encourgement in Christ. We do have consolation in love. We do have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. And we do have emotions of compassion for others. All come from our abiding in Christ.

We are never to dishonor the gospel, but to live so as to receive the highest encouragement that Christ can give us. Our happiness is always centered in love. It is when we love a parent, a wife, a husband, a child, a sister, a neighbor, that we have the highest earthly enjoyment. It is in the love of God, of Christ, of Christians, of the souls of people, that we, the redeemed, find our greatest happiness.

We should never try triumph over others by mere physical strength, or by superiority of intellect, or as the result of some dark scheme or plan formed by rivalry, or by indulging anger, or with a spirit of ambition. We are not to attempt to do anything merely by outdoing others, or by showing that we have more talent, more courage, or more zeal. What we do is always to be by spiritual principle, and with the desire to maintain the truth, and to glorify God.

The word of command here solemnly forbids us from doing anything with a wrong purpose, whether it be by some intellectual attainment, or by physical strength, or skill in music, or eloquence in singing, by how we dress, or the things we have, or even our spiritual beliefs. Self is never to be foremost; selfishness is not to be the motive. Love and concern for others comes from the love we have for Christ. That’s why we witness. It is for the benefit of the lost ones, and it is for the glory of our LORD Jesus Christ. God bless you as you grow into His likeness!

The LORD reminds us daily to pray for you –and we do!

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”