We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves…to build them up. ~Romans 15:1-2 (NIV)
Strong willed people tend to have very high standards and those standards are usually accompanied by a “my way or the highway” attitude. Have you ever met someone with that kind of attitude? Sometimes it can be hard for those of us with a strong will to follow the Lord’s lead and “bear with the failings of the weak” as the Lord tells us to. Bearing with the failings of the weak does not mean telling them and anybody else that will listen what they have done wrong. A great tragedy occurs when we use our time and energy to incite anger in each other by perpetuating the faults and failures of those who might be weaker than we are in one area or another. Maybe they have a “problem” in their marriage, and you know exactly what they need to do to change it. Maybe it is their children who just cannot seem to get it right or even their job that they just cannot seem to get ahead in. It is easy to see the spec in another’s eye, but Jesus said pull out the plank in your own before you step in to help. God does not want us to be more proficient at external observations than we are at introspection or “internal observation”. The Lord tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” (ESV) Have you put yourself to the test lately? Have you examined your attitude towards those who need to get it together better? The truth is we all need to get it together better. That is why Jesus came! One of the greatest truths we will ever learn is that when it comes to our relationships, change begins with us. We can hope and pray all day long but if we don’t do something different, we are defined as insane because insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Have you been hanging on to your perspective in a relationship for a while? Have you ever thought about seeking Gods?
Beware of inciting anger or ill will in others. God has called us to promote good will in our homes and communities. Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” (NIV) Stirring up conflict is detestable to God. Other translations define stirring up conflict as sowing discord, promoting ill-will and causing contention between people. This should not be so in the body of Christ. We are supposed to bear with the failings of the weak. Inciting people to anger or judgement and sowing discord among those around us brings strife that gives ground to our enemy. We are supposed to be taking ground from our enemy for the Kingdom of God by promoting love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Unity is one of our greatest strongholds and when we throw it out the window, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We are called to encourage people to pray for each other and lay down their lives for their brothers and sisters, despite what they are doing, as an example of what Christ has done for us. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not lacking; so he who controls his speech is wise.” (CJB) My mom puts it this way “if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all”. Ouch! We are not bringing any praise or glory to God with our negative conversations. God says right or wrong I love them all and we must also.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ~Romans 15:7 (NIV)
How often do you seek God’s perspective? Has He changed your mind about a person or a situation?
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