We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to building him up.
Romans 15.1
Instead of getting annoyed or angry with other people’s faults and failures, the Bible says we ought to bear them, and build them up. Now that doesn’t mean sin or evil, because they should be avoided. The Bible is talking about faults and failures in the people around you.
Accommodate people where they’re at, where you meet them. Don’t expect them to be what they are not or what you want them to be. Look to give people their own way, whenever and as often as you can.
Don’t always insist on your own way and, in fact, be on the look out for opportunities to build others up giving them what they want, doing what they want, having the conversation they want to have. Even beyond that, focus on opportunities to build up the people around you, show your support and enthusiasm, even if sometimes you have to force it a little. Learn to abstain from negativity and criticism, or a lot of self-referencing talk. In his Letter to the Romans Paul goes on:
For even Christ did not please himself.
Romans 15.3
A fairly remarkable fact, when you think about it. Christ was God and he could have had anything he wanted, anywhere, anytime he could have had his way. But that is not how he lived. He didn’t live to please himself or to get his own way. Be like that, live like that. Paul goes on,
Accept one another, then, as Christ accepted you.
Romans 15.7
Why?
So that the God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15.13
Acceptance yields the reward of hope. Now I will be honest with you, I don’t get this, I don’t know why that is, I don’t grasp the principle, but the Bible says there is this correlation, and if you’ll simply honor God’s word, you’ll see it work.
Putting up with one another, building one another up brings hope.
Really? Really.
I appreciate your candor. That is why I drive from Bel Air to come to Nativity and love it so much.. You are an amazing priest with wonderful messages every week that hit home. You’re a messenger from God and yet you admit your faults and you “get it” and you help us all to “get it”. That is pretty powerful! Thank you!
Amen to Dawn’s comment. Thank you for exhibiting the humility of our Lord. Thank you for that courage.