By Pastor Daniel 

Introduction
It has been more than a year since the pandemic of Covid-19.  We are still talking about the new normal or rather, “what is normal today?”  Nothing is normal.  But there is one thing that remains – we are still very much confined to our homes, which means we are spending a great deal of time at home.

What can happen?  Good things can happen but bad things can happen too.  The common denominator is that having to spend more time at home, how have our relationships within the family been?  Being away from friends, how are we still in a relationship with one another?

Philippians 2:1-4
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value, others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

The passage above deals mainly with relationships – whether it be the Christian community or those with whom we love.

The Four Motivations for relationships
Paul spoke about four motivations, namely,

• Encouragement of unity
• Comfort from his love
• Commonness in the Spirit
• Compassionate and tenderness

These are the very motivations by which we operate when we think of our relationship in Christ.  They are all Christlike based on the unity with Christ.  We have his love as our source, the common Spirit of God that binds us, and the example of Christ’s tenderness and compassion.

The Three Attitudes in Relationships
Then Paul elaborated on 3 vital attitudes when we look at each other.

• Same mind
• Same love
• Same spirit

That is how we view each other – more so in the community of God whom he has redeemed for his own.  While we may be different, we share one common thing – redeemed by Christ alone. 
Thus we share the common mind (that we are all sinners saved by grace), recipients of the same love (the love of God that brought us together), and partakers of the same spirit (a new life awakened by the Spirit of God) in us.  It does not say we are the same in personality and temperaments but yet we can be in harmony because of the common ground by which we begin our life in Christ.

The Two Actions in Relationships
Finally, Paul simply outlined two actions that would determine that course of harmony in all relationships, be it parent-child, husband-wife, brother-sister, and friends.  The two actions that would take a lifetime to master;

• Do nothing out of selfishness (ambition or gain)
• In humility, count others better than yourself.

These final two actions are where we put into practice to foster a relationship that would honor Christ, that shows our motivations and attitudes.

Conclusion
With the MCO’s, staying at home, has it been easier and more enriching when it comes to relating to one another at home?  Have I look at the person(s), with love, serving him or her out of selflessness and count, honor, and appreciate that person as better than myself, more important than myself.  It is a good time to evaluate where we are when it comes to relating to others. 

Happy Mother‘s Day in May and happy Fathe’rs Day in June.  May all fathers and mothers find their joy in the Lord and their relationships at home.