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Building Others Up
Read the following texts, and ask yourself how you can apply the teaching to your own life. Why is this so important, not only for yourself but for others? Eph. 4:29, 1 Thess. 5:11, Rom. 14:19.
Paul admonishes the early church communities to avoid the deterioration of personal relationships in the “body of Christ.” Many interpersonal difficulties come from tearing each other down and, in the process, hurting the entire community. People who engage in gossip and backbiting tend to have problems themselves—feelings of inferiority, the need to be noticed, a desire for control or power, and other insecurities. These people need help to abandon this hurtful way of dealing with their inner conflicts.
Indeed, feeling well about oneself helps to prevent being involved in gossip and slander. Members of the body of Christ need to consider themselves privileged for having received the gift of salvation (Ps. 17:8, 1 Pet. 2:9). With this understanding, the emphasis becomes building others up and working toward mutual edification. Words of encouragement and approval, emphasis on the positive side of things, humility, and a joyful attitude are ways of supporting those with personal problems.
Another way to help is to serve as relational mediators. Jesus calls peacemakers “ ‘blessed’ ” and “ ‘children of God’ ” (Matt. 5:9), and James says that peacemakers will reap “a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18, NIV).
Read Matthew 7:12. Why is this so key to all relationships?
This principle can be considered as a priceless jewel for social relationships. It is positive, it is based on love, it is universal, and it stretches above and beyond human law. The “golden rule” also brings about practical benefits to everyone involved.
A Chinese farmer was tending his rice paddy up in the mountain terraces overlooking the valley and the sea. One day he saw the beginning of a tidal wave—the sea retreated, leaving a wide portion of the bay exposed, and he knew that the water would return with force, destroying everything in the valley. He thought of his friends working in the valley and decided to set his rice field on fire. His friends immediately ran up the mountain to put the fire out and thus missed being killed in the tidal wave. As a result of this spirit of helping one another, their lives were saved.
The lesson is clear.
| THURSDAY | January 20 |
Read the following texts, and ask yourself how you can apply the teaching to your own life. Why is this so important, not only for yourself but for others? Eph. 4:29, 1 Thess. 5:11, Rom. 14:19.
Paul admonishes the early church communities to avoid the deterioration of personal relationships in the “body of Christ.” Many interpersonal difficulties come from tearing each other down and, in the process, hurting the entire community. People who engage in gossip and backbiting tend to have problems themselves—feelings of inferiority, the need to be noticed, a desire for control or power, and other insecurities. These people need help to abandon this hurtful way of dealing with their inner conflicts.
Indeed, feeling well about oneself helps to prevent being involved in gossip and slander. Members of the body of Christ need to consider themselves privileged for having received the gift of salvation (Ps. 17:8, 1 Pet. 2:9). With this understanding, the emphasis becomes building others up and working toward mutual edification. Words of encouragement and approval, emphasis on the positive side of things, humility, and a joyful attitude are ways of supporting those with personal problems.
Another way to help is to serve as relational mediators. Jesus calls peacemakers “ ‘blessed’ ” and “ ‘children of God’ ” (Matt. 5:9), and James says that peacemakers will reap “a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18, NIV).
Read Matthew 7:12. Why is this so key to all relationships?
This principle can be considered as a priceless jewel for social relationships. It is positive, it is based on love, it is universal, and it stretches above and beyond human law. The “golden rule” also brings about practical benefits to everyone involved.
A Chinese farmer was tending his rice paddy up in the mountain terraces overlooking the valley and the sea. One day he saw the beginning of a tidal wave—the sea retreated, leaving a wide portion of the bay exposed, and he knew that the water would return with force, destroying everything in the valley. He thought of his friends working in the valley and decided to set his rice field on fire. His friends immediately ran up the mountain to put the fire out and thus missed being killed in the tidal wave. As a result of this spirit of helping one another, their lives were saved.
The lesson is clear.
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