Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17; Romans 15; Lamentations 2; Psalm 33
Romans 15:1-2 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
To be strong as a believer is to be strong in faith. If you are strong in faith it will mean that you work to help those who are weak. The weak believer is the one who is still struggling with matters of what he can eat and just how this Christian life is to be lived. A strong believer is one who is compassionate and patient with a new believer and helps them to grow in their relationship with Christ. They do not condemn the weak believer who is struggling with the Old Covenant restrictions, but rather they encourage them prayerfully.
If we live a life to please ourselves, we are not showing a strong faith in Jesus. The person whose supposed strong faith is his excuse to live any way he pleases is not following Jesus. An example would be of a veteran football player whose years of practice have made him strong and wise about the game. He could laughingly mock the gangly rookie who is trying to get the hang of the game. Or he could come alongside him and encourage him and try to help him. He could show him the benefits of doing things a certain way rather than laughing at the awkward attempts of the neophyte.
Your neighbor is that person who is in close proximity to you. Are you living to please your neighbor for his/her edification? Do you desire for others around you to be built up? Do you realize that Christian growth is a process? Many times as followers of Jesus we forget how long it took for Jesus to get us to where we are in our walk with him. When this happens, we tend to expect others to progress in their faith much more quickly than they are. We demand more than was demanded of us.
Bearing the infirmities of the weak is the law of Jesus Christ for us.
Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
In another scripture, we learn that to love fulfills the law of Christ:
Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
So we can see that to bear one another’s burdens is to love our neighbor. This is the highest calling that God has given to any of us – love him and love them!
In Christ,
Rody
