Philippians 4: 12-14Philippians 4: 12-14
English: World English Bible - WEB
12 I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. ¹⁴ However you did well that you shared in my affliction.

We are sometimes convinced that true freedom is being able to live life on our own, but in fact there is no room for this type of life in the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, our desire to be self-sufficient is deeply rooted and makes itself known at a very early stage in our lives. When a small child is attempting to learn a task that will give them more freedom, the monster of self-sufficiency often raises its ugly head and the child will let any one who attempts to help know that their assistance is unnecessary because they can do it by themselves. As we acquire more things and develop greater skills we are in even graver danger of thinking we are independent and self-made people. After all it was our labor, our ideas, our creativity that allowed us to acquire what we possess. However, the Gospel teaches us that freedom is not self-sufficiency, but a shared life. Taking care of one’s self first is a denial of our need for community with others. It is a refusal of our obligation for others in the community. Our survival is not secured by what we possess, but by what we generously share with God and others.

This shared life that Jesus calls us to, frees us to generously love God and love neighbor. It creates room in us so that we are free to be loved by God and to accept the love of others. In this shard life we learn and experience what it means to give and to receive, to help and to be helped. As we help others and allow others to help us we acquire a sense of mutuality and are free to be truly human and nurture this new humanity in others. Our life together with Christ frees us to be generous - and what else is generosity but grace? The Christian is free to be an expression of the love of God finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of God. We help one another through small acts of mercy and generosity because God’s mercy and generosity are without limits. The Christian is free to share both weakness and strength. Jesus, the most complete picture of humanity that the world has ever known, was not self-sufficient: Mary washed his feet, Simon carried his cross, and Mary, his mother, nurtured him to maturity. Therefore, let us look for opportunities to help others and generously give from our need and our abundance. Let us be the kind of people willing to share in the troubles of others and allow others to share in our troubles, as well. Let us be a people content with little or much because we are members of the beloved community.