Key Verses: Romans 15:1-7, "We who are strong ought
to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each
of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For
even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of
those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 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.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so
that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then,
just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."
Take a moment and clear your mind of any distraction.
Don't think about your responsibilities, or problems, or stressors...just relax
for a second-for real.
Relaxed? Mind clear? Good...
Here's a statement to think about now that you're in the
mood for thinking?
The life of a follower is hard.
Living as a Christ-follower in this world is not easy, is
it? The more devoted you are to doing what God wants you to do, the harder it
gets. It's easier to go with the crowd than it is to take a stand. How are you
supposed to stay strong? How are you supposed to keep going in this world where
it seems like everyone is against you?
As you might imagine, the Bible has a few things to say
about this. Pause for a moment and read Romans 15:1-7. If you look closely,
there are two verses in this passage that will help you out tremendously in
living the life of a Christ-follower.
Verse 4 promises encouragement and confidence from
reading God's Word. Now, don't take this lightly. The Bible is not like any
other book. Hebrews 4:12 says that it is "living and active." Romans
15:4 alludes to this. Paul said that everything recorded in scripture is
written so that you might have hope and encouragement when things get tough.
When life gets you down, turn to God's Word. This is one of the reasons He gave
it to us.
The second promise for helping you out in this life is
found in verse 5. Read it again. Here, God promises to give you encouragement,
endurance, and a spirit of unity. So not only will God supernaturally give you
His strength to stay strong and finish the race, but He also promises to
surround you with fellow followers so you are not on this journey alone. How
cool is that?
When life gets you down or when you are beaten up because
you took a stand for Christ, turn to His Word and to your friends who share
your faith. Doing both of these will not only help you on your journey, but you
will also glorify God as the giver of good things. He is your Father and He
loves to take care of His children. Give God a chance to show you how good He
is at it.
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