Today's Devotion
Servants and Saints
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus: To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi... Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:1-2
Before Paul asks the Philippians for anything, he tells them who they are. The whole letter opens with identity.
Philippi was a Roman colony full of people proud of their citizenship and their status. Paul, writing from prison, opens by calling himself and Timothy "servants" — the lowest title available in that world. Then he turns to the church and calls every one of them "saints." Not the stained-glass kind. Ordinary people: a businesswoman, a once-enslaved girl, a jailer and his family. Sainthood was not a reward for achievement; it was a gift of identity for everyone "in Christ Jesus." Grace and peace, a Greek word and a Hebrew one, for a church family made of both. Partnership starts here, because you can't give what you haven't received.
Practice
Take two minutes with a piece of paper. On one line, write the labels the world gives you — your job, your roles, your title. On the next, write what God calls you: saint, servant, child. Which list did you wake up wearing this morning? If your week runs on the first list, carry the second one with you tomorrow.
Prayer
Father, thank you for telling me who I am before telling me what to do. I confess I often wear the world's labels tighter than yours. Today I receive what you say over me: I am your child, set apart by grace. Teach me to live from that identity. Amen.
This Week’s Message
This devotion follows along with this week’s message.