Accepting One Another

Posted on Aug 31, 2015 Topic : Weekly Devotionals

One day an elderly woman in worn and tattered clothes visited a local church. At the end of the service, when the preacher invited seekers to come forward, she responded and asked to become a member. She told the preacher she believed in Christ and wanted to be baptized. She also mentioned that she had been cleaning houses all her life.

The preacher thought, “She’s so disheveled, and she smells like she’s been cleaning toilets. What would the members think of her?” He suggested that she go home and pray about being baptized. The next week, she again came forward during the invitation. She told the preacher she had prayed about it and still wanted to be baptized. But the preacher told her to go home and pray some more.

A few weeks later, the preacher ran across the elderly woman while out doing some errands. He asked why she hadn’t been at church for a while. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

“Oh, yes,” she said. “I talked with Jesus, and He told me not to worry about becoming a member of your church.”

“He did?” said the preacher, a little taken aback.

“That’s right,” she replied. “Jesus said He’s been trying to get into your church for years but hasn’t been able to.”

Precious few of us ever fully live up to each other’s expectations. The story of the cleaning lady is extreme, but we often allow our differences to divide us. Members of the body of Christ have unique backgrounds, preferences, and idiosyncrasies. We can let this diversity bring a greater variety and strength to the body of Christ, or we can let it divide us.

When God brought us together into one big family, He joined together people who have a variety of likes and dislikes, interests, dreams, and baggage. He asked us not only to get along but also to love one another. The apostle Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Yet even though we came from various backgrounds, we are joined together as one new man in Christ (Ephesians 2:15).

Despite our different histories, preferences, and the like, God has asked us to live, work, and worship together in unity as members of the family of God. In order to do that, we have to embrace Paul’s admonition to accept one another. Our many rifts reveal that precious few of us have actually put flesh on Paul’s words in Romans 15:7: “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”

We are called as brothers and sisters in Christ to accept one another just as Christ accepted us. Accepting one another is critical if we are to celebrate and enjoy the freedom we have in the Lord.

Personal Reflection

Romans 2:11 says, “There is no partiality with God.” Where do you tend to show partiality? Make a list of prejudices you hold, and note whether you feel they are justified. Then pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you God’s heart in these areas.

In Luke 6:42 we read, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Can you identify an area in your life that is like a log in your eye? We often see faults in others more easily than in ourselves. Notice where you find fault with others and look to see if you exhibit a similar weakness. Ask God to forgive you in this area and to heal you so He can use you to help others.

There is a significant difference between a personal conviction and a personal preference. A personal conviction is something you think is wrong even if the Bible does not come out and specifically say so. For example, if (for some reason) I think that taking a cruise is wrong, then for me to take a cruise would be a sin simply because I was violating my own convictions.

However, when we condemn others for not living according to our personal convictions (that is, issues the Bible does not address), we are judging wrongly. In the chapter, we contrasted judgments and preferences. Write out definitions of both in your own words. How do they apply to you? How do they apply to others?

Personal Application

In what areas can you make more room for other people’s preferences?

Romans 14:13 tells us that we are not to put a stumbling block in anyone’s way. Can you identify anything in your life that could cause others to stumble? If you can, take that before the Lord and ask Him to help you remove that hindrance to others’ growth.

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That includes accepting each other where we are at and not trying to impose our values or freedoms on others. Is anyone trying to impose their values on you in an area that the Bible doesn’t address? How can you prevent their judgment from adversely affecting you?