Love and Accept Others

Therefore, [continue to] accept and welcome one another, just as Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of [our great] God (Romans 15:7 AMP).

Why can’t the Church celebrate individuality? Look at the different personalities of the 12 disciples. Simeon was a zealot, Matthew a tax-collector. They got into squabbles, and Jesus told them to work it.

Jesus’ disciples said crazy things—not the right things. They argued about who was the greatest among them. Jesus was so patient.

We are called to accept others the same why Christ accepted us.

There are many challenges in a diverse church, and yet, that is who He purposed us to become. Working together, we exemplify the Godhead. The son does only what the Father tells him. The Holy Spirit only says what he hears the Father say. They work in unity. Jesus said, if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.[1]

The unity of the Godhead becomes the basis of what we do with and for one another. Jesus has a heart for people and serving has to flow out of the heart. People can be frustrating, but the Kingdom of God is built on His desire to accept the whole world. Jesus has the ability to love people where they are at. He accepts them as they are and sees them through.  We are called to follow His example in our relationships with others.

[1] _{John 14:9}

Overflow with Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises (Romans 15:13 GW).

God gives you hope so you can give hope to others. Follow Jesus’ example. Jesus’ own people, the Jews, did not accept Him. Jesus’ brothers did not accept him. James, his brother, did not see him as Messiah until after his death, burial and resurrection. Jesus poured out his life for others—even those who rejected him.

Look at the lives of the Old Testament prophets. Many were tortured and killed, but they kept reaching out. Jeremiah might not have had a single convert, but he faithfully said and did what God told him to do and say.

You and I are not on the earth to live for ourselves.

We are here to serve God and serve others. You are to be a light to the world wherever God puts you. Be a stabilizing force wherever He chooses to place you. Overflow with hope. Make yourself available for what the Holy Spirit will do through you.

 

Pour Out on Others

We should all be concerned about our neighbor and the good things that will build his faith. Christ did not think only of himself. Rather, as Scripture says, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me” (Romans 15:2-3 GW).

Vince Lombardi said, “The challenge for every organization is to build a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another because the question is usually not how well each person works, but how well they work together.”

As believers, we are on a team and have a lifetime membership of service to one another. We’ve got to love each other and have to always be thinking of the other person.

It takes effort to be on God’s team.

We’ve got to foster a deep desire to please others and help build their faith. The worst thing for a coach is a bunch of players that just want to focus on themselves.

We certainly need to take care of ourselves, but it doesn’t stop there. We need to make an effort to teach others what we have learned. Knowledge is for the benefit of others. Think about the people who came alongside you. They encouraged you, mentored you, spoke life into you. Perhaps they served as a spiritual coach.

Are you willing to be inconvenienced in order to make time for people? Are you willing to pour yourself out to others just as Jesus poured out His life for you?

The Gift of Giving Produces Growth

So those of us who have a strong faith must be patient with the weaknesses of those whose faith is not so strong. We must not think only of ourselves. We should all be concerned about our neighbor and the good things that will build his faith (Romans 15:1-2 GW).

One of the young men new to Lakeview just moved to the United States. He’s a new believer, growing in Christ. He needed transportation and contacted me for advice as to where to go and what to do about purchasing a car for his family. I asked him to give me a few days.

I went to Facebook and shared his need for a car on my page. A few days later, a couple contacted me. They said they had been praying for three weeks, asking the Lord what He wanted them to do with a car they no longer needed. They told the Lord, “We want to give this car to someone who has a need. When I shared this young man’s need for a car, they recognized answered prayer and that the Lord wanted them to give him their car.

It was a really nice vehicle. This young man was so overwhelmed by the love of God and the generosity of his fellow believers, he could hardly could speak.

This gift encouraged this young man in his faith, as well as the couple who gave the gift.

The young man told me, “When I get established, I want to help someone else like these people have helped me.

You are a part of the family of God. Everyone does their part to see one another succeed. We are growing together and giving God the glory.

 

Live a Poured Out Life

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7-8 NKJV).

It’s possible to go to church and be unchurched without relationship. Godly soul connections help you grow in faith and other areas of life. It’s important to understand the reason we serve, and how our lives are changed through serving others. Serving is not something you do alone—it’s best done with others.

Serving takes us out of self-focus.

Had Jesus only thought of himself, he would have not come to earth. He wasn’t born in a hospital or a home, but a manger. Philippians 2 says, He made himself of no reputation. Jesus’ focus was to build and encourage others, to offer hope to the whole world. He lived a poured out life.

God pours out to us so we can pour out his hope onto others. A purpose of our salvation is to bless others. A nonbeliever makes it about them, but a follow of Jesus cannot live a fruitful life and make it about him- or herself.

We should be concerned for our neighbors. If you haven’t yet found a place to serve, ask the Lord to show you where to connect. Find a friend and let your life flow into theirs.