I
am so glad to be part of the family of God - co-heirs with Jesus of God's
Kingdom, and cleansed by His blood (Galatians 4:5-7; John 1:12). It takes a
simple prayer and a lifelong commitment on our part to enjoy our position as adopted
children of God.
We
are brothers and sisters in Christ, and individual members of His Body, with
Christ as the head. We are also recipients of God's peace, joy, love and grace
(Galatians 6:1-3). We work together as His Body and are an extension of Christ
in the earth (John 14:11-13).
We
have each other's back, in meekness we restore one another when we fall, and we
do not allow pride to give us a preachy or condescending attitude. We consider
our own ability to fall into sin, and we have compassion and refrain from
judging one another.
We
all need support and encouragement. It serves us well to take a continual
inventory of our attitudes and interactions with others in order to make sure that
we are Christ-like, and that we do not allow Satan to use us to further damage
the suffering Saints of God.
God
gives us a gentle attitude, reminding us that we too may succumb to the
temptation to sin. This keeps us from devastating one another, divorcing each
other, and belittling those in our sphere of influence (Galatians 6:3).
Loving
God and others as we love our self is the greatest commandment of all (Matthew
22:37-39). We restore our weaker brethren in the bond of peace rather than to
devastate them (Ephesians 4:3). We rejoice with those who succeed, and we grieve
with those who suffer loss (Romans 12:15).
Prayer:
Father
God, remind us that there is a balance in our support for one another. As we allow
Your Spirit to give us discernment of another's plight in life, we may be
compelled to help. However, You may show us that if we give aid without Your
specific direction to do so, we may end up disabling that person and thwarting
Your plans for their life. Lead us as we serve as ambassadors for Christ in
this pain-filled world, attempting to relieve suffering as Your Spirit leads us.
As
hard as it may be for us to see a loved one endure the consequences of their
poor decisions, we all need to learn that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8).
At other times, it may take commitment and sacrifice on our part to help a
hurting soul by living as an example of Your love. This could be the only way
that they can learn to trust You with their life. Help us to be led by Your
Spirit each moment of our day (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Thought
for the Day:
Jesus
learned obedience to God's direction through the things that He suffered, and
we do too; so helping someone outside of God's will for them prevents them from
learning to trust God for their supply, and to learn to do the hard things in
life that make us stronger and wiser.
-
Hebrews 5:8
