Like a brick. Ice cold. Frozen. You are opening the lid and reaching down into the deep freezer for a shoulder roast – frozen meat, whether it’s pork, beef or lamb. Have you ever experienced a refrigerated human shoulder? Without even a hint of anything repulsive, the reality is – cold shoulders are experienced every day.

You know when you have been given the cold shoulder, and you also know when you have given the cold shoulder. Slow down. Read that again. Any recent experiences with a refrigerated shoulder?

It’s not a spiritually healthy sign when I’m giving someone the cold shoulder treatment, nor is it a healthy indicator of Christ-honouring unity if someone is giving it to me. Something is wrong. Definitely wrong.

The Apostle Paul had happy memories of the Christians in Philippi. They had been such solid, shoulder-to-shoulder partners with him in the spread of the Gospel and in the cause of Christ.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:3-5

But something had happened within the happy and united, shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand, tightly-knit community of believers in that city. Perhaps the two women once sat together – side by side. Or maybe when the last hymn had been sung, and the crowd was dispersing, they would see each other and rush to give a warm embrace, excitedly gabbing about their upcoming plans for the Lord. But now, the only thing that restricts the distance they keep from each other is the size of the room in which they meet. If the walls were moveable, their distance apart could even be greater.

Euodia and Syntyche probably had never seen drifting Arctic icebergs. They needed no pricey cruise to experience a northern chill. The frigid cold had settled in between them. No longer shoulder to shoulder or hand in hand together as happy believers. Things had become tense, formal and quite stiff. The routines and practises continued but wow! The artificial ‘godly’ smiles were a far cry from the way things used to be. (Philippians 4:2-3)

The danger of refrigerated shoulders is that coldness spreads; the chill can sink deep into the bones of other believers as sides are taken in the dispute. Both sides can spout out their verses to justify their position. Both sides can claim deep insights from the Lord and a reverence for the Word of God. Both sides claim to be taking up their inflexible, unyielding, absolute and rigid positions in order to see the work of God preserved and ‘done right’— oh my, yes, for sure —– so the baton can be faithfully passed on to succeeding generations.

Of course, both sides have a lot to learn about spiritual humility. Sadly, fierce battles, supposedly in the Name of the Lord and ‘always’ in defence of the Truth, are fought without even a hint of true Christ-likeness.

The only possibility of thawing the refrigerated shoulders is when the climate of Philippians chapter two exists. We need to read and pray it often. Read it in your most familiar translation – KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB or an old NIV. Read it in a thought-for-thought translation like the NLT. Read it in a one-person paraphrasing like ‘The Message’ by Eugene Peterson or JB Phillips – ‘The New Testament in Modern English.’ Study each word and phrase for yourself. Despite the weaknesses of any translation and the faulty choices of personal preferences in paraphrasing the Scriptures – the point is – make sure you look at Chapter Two from every angle. 

In the game of Red Rover, one side firmly stands together, with hands strongly clasped, as the opposing side tries to break through. If the challenger breaks through their line, one of the players must be taken back to the other team. What’s a loss for one side is a clear victory for the other.

Spiritually, who wins when there is weakness in shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand Christian unity? The Apostle Paul wrote these words:

 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side [shoulder to shoulder] for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27

Do I have a cold shoulder towards some believer? Cold shoulders are not a sign of spirituality or godliness, nor are they a sign of a healthy fellowship of believers.

Maybe a friend has asked: How is Christianity Unique? Share this link with them.

May we take ten minutes today and read Philippians Chapter 2 – as we breathe out a sincere prayer request – not for others but that we ourselves will experience an attitude adjustment that will reflect something of the humility of Christ in all our interactions with others.

Don’t hesitate to share a thought from your personal experience or a verse that has been a blessing to you –  in the comment section below. Or, if you would like to reach out privately, click below.