Daily Devotional

March 1st 2026

Back to Devotionals notes

SUNDAY

It’s true that some here preach Christ because with me out of the way, they think they’ll step right into the spotlight. But the others do it with the best heart in the world. One group is motivated by pure love, knowing that I am here defending the Message, wanting to help. The others, now that I’m out of the picture, are merely greedy, hoping to get something out of it for themselves. Their motives are bad. They see me as their competition, and so the worse it goes for me, the better—they think—for them. —Philippians 1:15-17 (MSG)

Paul reminds us of our duty to authentically display Christ. He does not deny the reality of suffering and negative circumstances.
Paul is cheerful and confident in Christ, despite his circumstances. This is authentic, tangible and relatable Christianity. If we get discouraged when things go badly—blow up under pressure, retaliate at those who have mistreated us—we are no different from anyone else (Matthew 5:43-48)?
One mark of authentic Christianity is that rivalry causes rejoicing. It’s evident here that certain Roman Christian preachers were jealous of Paul; they were not very happy that he was in Rome preaching, even though he was under house arrest. These others had been in Rome; thus, they felt Paul had usurped their position. There was a degree of contention that Paul noted.
But Paul rejoices. The magnanimous spirit he has in Christ causes him to rejoice in the fact that Christ is being preached. For Paul, it doesn’t matter if they are partially motivated by the prospect of excelling over him—all that matters is that Christ is being preached, and in that he rejoices.
Authentic Christianity is found in our ability to rejoice in the success of others —particularly those who are advancing while we are not. No matter how spiritual we purport to be, there is a degree of human rivalry that resides in all of us that causes us to ask, “Why them and not me?” In those times, it would be helpful for us to remember that the work to which we have been called is not about us; it’s not about them. It’s about Jesus—His Gospel message of holistic love and selfless service. We’re not in competition with each other, only against Satan’s effort to stifle the ministry of Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, on this second Sunday of Lenten, we are mindful of the human emotions at play within us that, if allowed, will divert us from our purpose, which is to be proclaimers of Christ’s Gospel. In the power of Your Holy Spirit, we reject such attitudes today and we recommit ourselves to the work to which we have been called. In our living, let us be genuine vessels of agapé, spreading hope to those trapped by despair. And we will give You the praise, glory and honor. In the name of Jesus, our Christ, we pray. AMEN!

(We invite your comments. Feel free to share this devotion with your friends and invite them to subscribe by forwarding their email address to the Pastor at: fredjeffsmith@gmail.com)

MORNINGS WITH SHILOH WEEKLY PRAYER LINK

Mornings with Shiloh airs on WVLA Channel 33 each weekday at 6:58 a. m. CST. Mornings with Shiloh is available on our Youtube channel at 8:00 a.m. CST.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

https://www.youtube.com/@ShilohMBCBR/videos

Want to get more involved at Shiloh?

Browse our Ministries