14. Philippians 2
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
First definition of “accord” from the 1828 Webster’s:
1. Agreement; harmony of minds; consent or concurrence of opinions or wills.
What came to me when I read this was that when we demonstrate Love, seek only God’s Will, and have the one Mind “which was also in Christ Jesus,” we will also have the same joy. How else could I fulfill the writer’s joy unless this were true. God may give us all different abilities and tasks, yet the Cause is the same, and therefore so is the effect.
Since this past Roundtable (Sunday, February 12th, 2017) I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between personality and individuality. What just occurred to me because of this verse is that as I do my work each day, I feel great joy. Now, if I think I get joy from coding the website, then that is personality. I know it is personality, because in the past coding websites alone has brought no joy and given no blessing to mankind.
Instead I need to understand that the joy is there because God’s Will is being done. What this church does is to bless all as God directs. My individuality is as God’s idea; my indivisibility from Him and His activities. As such it makes no sense to take a human activity as the base of my identity, no matter how naturally it seems to come or well I seem to do it: God has already done the work! I am just working to realize it in my consciousness.
I am so grateful for Christian Science and this church, because I never would have figured any of this out on my own. Thank you!