2/20/17 Romans 15:1  We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

 

Julie:

I would love to say that I belong to the first word of this verse "we". I am by no means strong enough or smart enough to carry someone in their weakness. The only thing I have to offer is my testimony of when I was weak and God picked me up and gave me His strength to keep going. My only contribution to helping is to give love and compassion and sometime I don't even feel like I am strong enough to do that. When I feel that, it is probably because I am trying to help or disciple from my own efforts, but Jesus is the real example, not me. It's funny because I feel like I am weak in discipling, and the purpose of this verse is to disciple the weak. The irony here is too good to not give God total credit. But "What can I say? What can I do? But offer this heart, Lord, completely to you!" Jesus is my example on how to disciple the weak, because I am the weak. And what better way to being completely compassionate with someone than to totally break with them because I too am walking in that weakness. This is what Jesus did. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors who hated themselves. They were weak in knowing their worth. Now, Matthew's testimony of Jesus makes up a quarter of the gospel. I think Jesus' best example was seeing people's strengths when they only saw weakness. And then He pursued that! I believe that is discipleship. Jesus, I have no idea how to be strong for others, but I do believe that in Your power I can be. Please give me your strength to help in spreading your gospel.