DAY 20 - Accepting One Another

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:1-13

How well do we do at accepting one another? How well do we mirror Christ’s love and acceptance? We know that we are called to become more like Jesus, but often we build walls to keep people out. And that’s not Christlike. Love does not allow limits to be placed on being a neighbor. We are called to be a neighbor to everyone, and to honor anyone as our neighbor.

Christianity allows people to come in without having to pass some sort of a test. All that someone has to do is fully embrace Christ. Jesus shed his blood so that people from every tribe, language, people and nation could be saved. We have a family of every possible persuasion and the result of this can cause a bit of a problem. Think about it: a body of believers with all these differences, all these different personalities, all these different cultures and traditions, and some even who have weak faith, or maybe who have strong faith and tend to look down at people with weak faith. Well, that's the problem that Paul is trying to solve in today's Scripture reading.

If we don't accept each other in this redeemed church of spiritual immigrants, if we don't embrace each other and accept each other, then what happens? Well, the person who's an outsider will look at us, the insiders, and see a loveless group of people who constantly argue and isolate from one another. These outsiders will say, “Well, if that's what Christianity is all about, then I don't want any part of it.” There's a lot at stake here. We must walk in the love of Christ and learn to accept one another. Jesus accepts people of all types. Who are we to say that we won’t do the same?

God’s Word leaves no room for “superiority” thinking. Believers are called to be accepting of one another with the standard set by Christ himself, realizing that there are the weak and the strong, the strugglers and the achievers. In our churches and our relationships, we’ve got to make sure that people experience acceptance. We show this by including them and accepting them as they are.

Are there any people you have decided not to associate with? What kind of people do you find it difficult to accept? Is it a personality type? Those with weak faith? People from different cultures and traditions? Accepting includes making others feel they belong. Those who confess “I belong to Jesus” know that they have been accepted by Christ. Will you accept them too?

Lord Jesus, we’re so glad to belong to you. Help us to welcome others into the same relationship, to your glory. Your love knows no bounds. Guide my attitudes so that I can show love as you do. Jesus, because you've accepted us, we want to be a people who accept others, to live in unity so that the outsiders might be attracted to what's going on with the insiders and that your gospel might flourish. In Jesus name, amen.