2:1-2 Fellowship Paul’s letters to the churches admonished them to build one another up and also commune with one another and with God. Church was never meant to be merely a building where people visit for worship but rather a community of friends who share in one another’s joys and burdens.
2:3-4 Focus on Others The problem with disabling conditions is that they naturally force people to think of their own needs first. Some people need help to get up in the morning and to get into bed at night. Others may need assistance in areas most people take for granted such as transportation, shopping, or even toileting routines. But self-centeredness is a huge barrier to developing healthy relationships. It takes an exceptionally mature person to look beyond their own needs and willingly focus on the needs of others. Taking an interest in others’ needs exhibits a Christlike attitude.
2:5-11 Brokenness Brokenness is a prerequisite for following Christ. Jesus is the ultimate example of brokenness because he denied himself and submitted to suffering and death on a cruel cross. Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Notice that our surrender is “daily” rather than a one-time experience.
2:6-8 Living with Suffering When people with disabilities trust God, he is revealed as a God of supreme worth who is deserving of our love and obedience despite the pain we face. As suffering bonds Christians to the “man of sorrows” (Isa 53:3), we have something eternally precious in common with Christ—our afflictions. Our scars, anguish, rejection, and pain give us a small taste of what our Savior endured to purchase our redemption.