Sunday 24 February 2008

Each other’s well being

Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. – 1 Corinthians 10v24

Before I make my next statement may I request that there be no “amens” from those who know me well?

Believe it or not there are times when I can be a self serving, self centred, self consumed, and selfish jerk. There are times when me is the only think that matters. Seriously, I think every honest reader can identify with that statement.

That is one thing when it comes to being in the queue for a dinner at church, or the last piece of pie, or the last handful of chex mix. That’s bad enough. What really hits is when I take it a step further and seek my own way when dealing with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

A “my way or the highway” attitude is never right in the body of Christ. “My way or the highway” is the epitome of “seeking his own.” When I insist that everything be done my way, or when I flaunt my liberty because, “you can’t stop me,” I am seeking my own. When I fight because I have to be right or retaliate because, “you can’t treat me that way,” I am seeking my own.

Let me go back to an example I used earlier, the eating of black pudding. I love it. I miss it if I don’t have it on an Irish fry. Now, let’s say that I am meeting a brother who I know has a problem with it for breakfast. I have two choices, I can exercise my liberty and seek my own and order it. Or, I can seek his well-being and pass it up. Which is the best option? The answer, I think, is clear.

It is not only black pudding. I am not going to make a list here, but in our glorious freedom let us be sure that we forget about our own, and seek our brother’s well being instead of our own.

Can you imagine the sweet fellowship if that we our motive?

1 comment:

Scott Bandy said...

That kind of fellowship would almost be too good to be true. One day though :)