accept

Hello gang,

You know when you look at a photograph, especially a group photo, do you ever wonder the moment right after everyone says Chhheeeeessseee and click? Yea the thoughts rolling through the minds as the photograph is done and we start other random conversations, like i think my eyes were closed, yea i was looking at the traffic behind the photographer, but for the moment in the picture, everyone was in harmony with each other in having their moment captured.

Paul talks about this harmony quiet often in his letters. The past few weeks i have camped out in Romans 14 and 15. Go ahead grab your sword and take a little journey with me. Depending on the version you have in your hands, Romans 14 comes right out of the gate and instructs us, again depending on your translation, to accept, receive, or welcome the one with weaker faith and to not argue, quarrel, don't pass judgment on what you "think" is right versus what your brother/sister "thinks" is right.

Now skip on over to Romans 15. Paul picks this subject up once again. You see the rest of 14 he detailed some areas that was causing our brothers/sisters to argue or not accept each other. Now over to 15 verse 1 Paul states (NLT) We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves v2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good to build him up.....go to verse 7

v7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God...WHAMO moment uh....wait a minute...hold the phone...uh Lord uh how, uh what are You asking me/us here? I know, i know, i know...now let's hang with each other here for a second and ask ourselves this question. How did Paul know his faith was that strong? Remember he said in verse 1 We who are strong....what was he using as a benchmark to determine that his faith was strong? Better yet, how do you and i determine how strong our faith is?.....or if we really want to, let's ask ourselves what are we utilizing to determine where one of our brothers or sisters faith is. hahahaha....

Get's us thinking a bit doesn't it? Sure does and has for me. As i continue to walk this life, and bounce this scripture off where i am walking, i see real quick how i pushback on folks, that may not think exactly like me, or how if someone has accepted me into their circle of friends, yet i'm selective about who comes into mine.

I guess it would be neat if we had faith o meter's or faith o mometer's that we could hold and show the "world" just how strong our faith really is. HMMMM, when you think about this for a second, we already have this measuring device, yea yea yea...Jesus talked about it after he washed the disciples feet. John 13:35 (NLT) Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. Paul gives another in the letter to the Galatians chapter 5 verse 13 and 14..go check it out!

It's showing the world that yes we do and can disagree, but he/she is my brother in Christ and we are meeting each other back at the empty tomb to worship, to create unity, to manufacture harmony through our resurrected Savior who ACCEPTS me everyday through FAITH in HIM!

love em up!