Friday August 13, 2021

Lord, help me to pause, help me to focus, help me to receive your word in a way that makes an impact on my day. Amen.

Romans 15:1-13

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 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.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;

I will sing the praises of your name.”

Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;

let all the peoples extol him.”

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,

one who will arise to rule over the nations;

in him the Gentiles will hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All the Kids

When you were in school were you part of the “cool kids?” Sometimes I felt very part of the in-crowd – church camp, the neighborhood, jr. high basketball. Then there were places… all three years of high school really, basketball camp away from Arlington, and with my sisters older friends…in these environments I was weak and totally uncool.

Isn’t Romans 15 saying that Jesus doesn’t do “cool kid verses uncool kid” at all? He clearly does not do Jew verses Gentile. 15:1 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.”

If only I had to think all the way back to my school days to remember the last time I saw people not exactly bearing the failings of the weak. If Paul wrote strongly about this, then the first church struggled with this concept as well. This weak vs strong thing is timely and worth praying over this morning. Oh that the Lord would consider us strong because we bear with the failings of the weak.

Lord, be with my next steps, be in my next thoughts, be in my every breath as I live your word into the world. Amen.