In Honor Preferring One Another

“Love one another with brotherly affection (as members of one family), giving precedence and showing honor to one another.” Romans 10:10(AMP)
Our contemporary society has one element that is becoming all too common – and that is the “common” way we treat each other. A prevailing spirit roaming about our country particularly is a spirit of entitlement, where people feel that it is their birthright to have and maintain a certain lifestyle granting them privileges that they feel they deserve even to the extent of taking advantage of other people.

While we know that this is pervasive among Hollywood and among the wealthy; what is the greatest tragedy is that we in the church sometimes adopt these attitudes and presume that “love one another” means to “serve one another” without limits. This translates sometimes into bad manners. I find that more and more there is a need for a Christian etiquette class!

Our theme scripture today says to love one another as members of one family – we are one family – we are the family of God. In order to keep the lines of communication open, there needs to be a clear understanding in our conversation. As a parent, who has unselfishly given and given and given again to my children, there was a point when they became adults and I began to have needs. I made presumptions that because I had given to them, often without them having to ask, that I would receive the same kind of treatment. It was one of the hardest tests of my life to go through a period where I had great need – in more than one area – and no one in my family seemed to “just know it.” I was hurt and withdrew, and only the grace of a loving and forgiving God was able to rebuild relationships that I could have destroyed forever.

What I learned most duriing that period was that God was a jealous God and He does not want us to put our hope, our trust, our confidence in any man or woman or even children. He wants us to trust Him – to look to Him – to rely upon Him for our daily needs. If He chooses to use the men, the women, and the children in our lives to assist us in times of need, then He will do it in a way where we have no doubt that He is in the mix. I thank God for learning that lesson, for it showed me an area of disrespect that I had for my children – not intentionally, but being common with the relationship I was certain that we had. I disrespected their age and stage and took for granted that they would always be available at a moment’s notice – just because as a mother I had tried to do that. And let me say this – in either case – it is not fair – common courtesy and respect for one another’s time and the way they use it – should always be paramount in our communication with one another. I’m going to give you the theme verse again in the MSG to think about:

“Love from the center of who you are, don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil, hold on to dear life for good. Be good friends who love deeply, practice playing second fiddle.” (Let the church say, AMEN!)

God Bless You,
Maria