To be mutually encouraged among you by each other’s faith
The title of this post is my translation of the first part of Romans 1:12, which the ESV translates, “…[T]hat we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith…” [I’m not sure why they decided to leave out the prepositional phrase “among/in you (plural).”]
I was reminded of this verse – part of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome – when I read a post by Eric at “A Pilgrim’s Progress” called “Willing to be One Anothered.” In this short post, Eric exhorts us toward mutual service (that service to and from one another).
I’m not going to quote much of his post, because it is fairly short. (So, make sure you jump over to his site and read the whole post.) Here is a short excerpt:
In talking about the one anothers, most of the focus usually falls on what we should do for others. I suppose this makes sense. However, we also need to realize that we must allow others to do for us. The one anothering is a two way street…
There is a sort of reciprocal nature to all this. We all grow up together in Christ as we serve one another. We help others grow by one anothering together. This involves both giving and receiving. If we only focus on the giving, we end up inadvertently hurting both ourselves and others.
I can’t speak to other parts of the world, but I know in this area being helped by others is frowned upon. But, among the church, we must be willing to both serve others and to be served by others. Christ matures his church as we work together to help one another.
Sometimes it’s harder for me to receive from others than to give to others. But, like Eric says, both are necessary parts of God growing and maturing his people.
Would you be willing to share a time when God worked through one of his children to “give” to you?
This is an essential ingredient to discipleship. In our modern ‘individualistic’ society that carefully guards it’s own privacy, and highly values it’s own space and independence we frustrate the dynamics of discipleship by isolating ourselves from the ‘one anothers’.
There was a truck with a lot of tools in it that was stolen while i was at lunch. when i got back from lunch the truck and all the tools was gone. I had no insurance. Fortunately my hand tools were still at the last place I had done a job. The next day a brother in the Lord had a car lot and gave me a truck to use. i signed nothing and had use of the truck as long as needed until I could come up with a plan. I did end up buying that truck, and was bought new tools that were needed.
I remember being mad and was listening to a radio station, was people to people and Bob george was talking to someone and that someone had asked Bob George about asking god to take away the peoples free will.
I have never forgotten the answer I heard. Bob replied to this person and said okay then let us pray this, but before we do pray for this. If we ask this, then that means your free will will have to be taken away as well. Then Bob asked do you still want to pray this prayer, That person said no as I did as well and started praising God for free will, and was no longer hurt by this theft, and thanked God for it instead of being mean from it. Howard
Russell,
Right. If God works through others (and he often does), then when we isolate ourselves from others we risk missing something that God is telling us or showing us.
Howard,
Thanks for sharing part of your story with us. It’s exciting to see how God changes our heart in spite of our circumstances.
-Alan