We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his own good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written “ The reproaches of those you reproached fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. My the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Jesus Christ, that together with one voice you may glorify God. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the Glory of God.
Romans 15:1-7
It took coming on the world race to see this become so real in my life. It’s 5:30 am and I’m sitting in a hammock by the lake watching the sunrise in Nicaragua. How did this happen? Time is already going by so fast and to think that 3 months will have soon gone by is wild. One of the biggest things I was told I would learn on the world race is community. They were right. It has been one of the most selfless experiences of my life. You suddenly have obligation to the people you are living, eating, praying, doing ministry with, and it is not my journey anymore but our journey. You really have nowhere to go on days where you have emotions boiling over. You learn to share with one another and build each other up.
When living in Community you become so aware of the moments you are becoming selfish and it sometimes takes those people confronting you to bring light of it. Community stretches you in how you care, depend, share, and love one another. You realize that it’s not all about you. In order to live in harmony you have be aware of what others can do and their strengths and allow everyone to work together in the gifting’s they have been given. You realize you are not a super human and that you can’t do everything.
When your focus is turned from yourself and pleasing you, to pleasing God it become so easy to lay down pride, selfishness, jealousy, bitterness, and control of your stuff because we have been given a body. A body that can become an army with one huge voice if we could only see the potential power in it. When we work, strive, sweat, teach, give, encourage, wake up so early and stay up late expecting nothing in return because it isn’t for us to be glorified in but the glory is for the one who gave us freedom and life and a chance be loved in the greatest way possible. It becomes so much easier. I now know what Paul talked about when he addressed the body. We have made church a 4 walled building that only a has a full parking lot on Sundays. Church is your life. It is how your body looks and functions and is how you act with the people around you every day. What does your church look like? How do you think that God feels when He sees not how you function and work but how your church as a whole operates together. Is that one voice quiet or is it loud?
