School is out for the summer, and that means it’s about time to get going on some road trips for summer vacations. There’s nothing quite like loading everybody into a vehicle and heading out on the open road. Oftentimes, the drive itself is part of the fun.

But one of the things that can make a drive like that miserable is to have a couple of your kids not get along. Has that ever happened to you? Boy, with five kids, I’ve been there and done that. How many times have I had to say, “Don’t make me pull this car over!” Dads just love when their kids get along. Of course, moms do as well.

Now, Apostle Paul was the spiritual dad, if you will, of the Philippians. They were his children in the faith as he had evangelized them and organized them as a church there in the city of Philippi. And he longed for them to get along. He said in Philippians 2:1–2, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose.” In other words, “Please get along and be united in the name of Jesus. Nothing would make me happier.”

He longed for them to reflect the unity that flows from their shared life in Christ. He wasn’t calling for uniformity, but unity of heart, love, and purpose. He says, “think the same way,” meaning to pursue the same priorities, grounded in the gospel. “Maintain the same love”—the selfless love Christ has shown to each of us. “Be united in spirit”—a harmony that can only come from walking humbly with one another.

In a world marked by division and self-interest, this kind of Christlike unity shines like a light. It glorifies God, strengthens the church, and brings deep joy to those who witness it.

Beloved, if at all possible, get along with your brothers and sisters in Christ. And just like you earthly daddy, it’ll make your Heavenly Father happy as well.

Change begins in you!