Relationships In God's House

Romans 15:1-7 (NIV) "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." As we continue our pursuit of relationship building in 2011, a great place to begin is our relationships with fellow Christians. In verses 1 and 2, Paul encourages us, not to please ourselves, but to please our neighbors and to build them up for their own good. This is certainly not an easy task, is it? How often do we make decisions to do or not do something with the idea that it doesn't matter what other people think? Although the world allows us to behave this way, it is completely contrary to the teachings of the bible. Later in the passage of scripture, Paul asks God to give us the 'same attitude of mind toward each other that Jesus had' so that in one voice of complete unity we may glorify God. 1 John 2:6 says, "If we claim to abide in Him, we also must walk in the same manner that He walked." The last verse, then, instructs us to "accept each other as Christ has already accepted us." Isn't it wonderful that God has already accepted us for who we are? He doesn't tell us that we must be perfect in order for God to accept us and use us--we have already been accepted. By accepting others in the same spirit that God accepts us, we will ultimately bring praise to and glorify God. He is not talking about lowering our standards, but he is speaking of genuinely loving one another as Christ has first loved and accepted us. Dear Friend, what have you done to build relationships with others so far this year? The encouragement and instruction today is to accept and build up our neighbors for their own good. By doing this in a worthy manner, we will bring praise and honor and glory to God. Blessings to You Today, Dave Henry