1We who are strong ought to
bear with the failings of the weak and
not to please ourselves. 2Each
of us should please his neighbor for his
good, to build him up. 3For even Christ
did not please himself but, as it is
written: "The insults of those who
insult you have fallen on me."[a] 4For
everything that was written in the past
was written to teach us, so that through
endurance and the encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God who gives endurance and
encouragement give you a spirit of unity
among yourselves as you follow Christ
Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth
you may glorify the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept
one another, then, just as Christ
accepted you, in order to bring praise
to God." (Romans 15:1-7)
Thought:
You want to know who I admire? I
admire anyone who can speak two
languages.
I think that is a
remarkable skill, so I am never critical
of people who struggle to speak English
as a second language. I'm impressed that
they are willing to give it a
try--because I know how difficult it is
to stick your neck out and try to speak
in a non-native tongue.
I
thought about this recently after a
mini-triumphant moment I had while
eating at a Mexican restaurant. The
waiters were from Mexico, which made the
atmosphere authentic. As I looked at the
menu, on which the food was numbered, I
decided on item 28 (the steak fajitas).
I told the waiter, "I'll take No. 28."
When he seemed not to understand, I got
really courageous, being from South
Florida and all, and said, "el
veintiocho." He brightened and knew
immediately what I wanted. And I was
proud to have communicated "un poquito."
Now, think of people who have
recently trusted Jesus Christ as Savior.
They're faced with learning a new
language! They're learning to speak
"Christian" as their second language.
They've spoken "non- Christian" their
whole life, but may know nothing about
the Bible, about doctrine, or about all
the stuff that's so common to us. To a
new Christian, "Habakkuk" may sound like
something people smoke. To a new
believer, "getting saved" means being
dragged out of a lake. And there's no
way a new friend in Jesus could tell you
the difference between omnipotence and
omniscience.
That's why we need
to be just as cautious and careful with
a new Christian as we are with someone
who speaks a non-native tongue. When we
come upon someone who speaks "Christian"
as a second language, we must treat him
with respect, patience, and
consideration. It's an example of the
care Paul was talking about when he
said, "We who are strong ought to bear
with the failings of the weak" (Romans
15:1). New Christians need our patience
and our help as they begin to learn a
language that sounds a bit strange to
them and as they face the challenge of
learning all about their new faith.
Questions to consider:
* Do I know someone who is just
getting started in the Christian life?
Have I helped that person to become more
familiar with Christian stuff? When will
I do that?
* What are some
"Christian" words believers throw
around, not thinking that some people
don't have a clue what they mean?
* Have I ever thought of having a
small-group study with some new
Christians?
Help someone learn
God's love language.
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