Build Up

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:2 ESV) I recently went to a “training” where people, who were managers, shared that their managers did not compliment or thank them enough for all that they managed. Then the facilitator reprised the question: how often do these complainants compliment the people that they manage? The answer, surprisingly (or not so surprisingly), was that they, themselves, don’t give to other people what they so very much desire for themselves. So, I’m going to give you free relationship advice: go build up any individual that you’re in any relationship with. This can be anybody you interact with; for example, if you are in a romantic relationship, then make sure you’re building that person up every single day. Don’t forget your parents and siblings and even your kids! II guarantee that if you do this, you will change somebody’s outlook on life. I know my first paragraph was more an aside in the form of a directive, but it’s pretty clear that the Bible tells us to build up our “neighbor.” Remember: I’m not talking about the literal next-door neighbor, I’m talking about the people who come in and out of your life that you have an impact on. The reason we want to build up our neighbor is pretty clear: It’s because we have an “obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (v 1). Don’t forget that we are not here on this planet to make ourselves “better” for our sake. Rather, it is to work with others to endure life, and to glorify God through mutual encouragement and hope. If you want to know the mindset of how you can “build up” people, you must read: “We are Not Our Own.” Or you should check out the sermon: “Faith Working Through Love” I’ll give you bullet points on how to do this if you’d rather not formulate it on your own:

1. We need to invite people into our lives that will speak truth into it, no matter how painful that truth may be.
2. We need to be loving and full of justice and righteousness every single day, and ensure that we do not compartmentalize our faith.
3. We cannot lose hope, either when we fail or if our neighbors fail us.