Words of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 28 Apr 2009

Words of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 28 Apr 2009

My whole bag of stuff – If one part suffers, all suffer

The purpose of this series is to be encouraged and to be aware that everyone comes with a whole bag of stuff. Good stuff, bad stuff, but most of all God has made us unique and for a reason. Today, if you feel small, weak, a failure, unwanted, not valuable, and a reject in this world. I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD THINK TWICE AFTER READING THIS.

1 Corinthians 12:21-26 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. BUT GOD HAS COMBINED THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY AND HAS GIVEN GREATER HONOUR TO THE PARTS THAT LACKED IT, SO THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO DIVISION IN THE BODY, BUT THAT ITS PARTS SHOULD HAVE EQUAL CONCERN FOR EACH OTHER. IF ONE PART SUFFERS, EVERY PART SUFFERS WITH IT; IF ONE PART IS HONOURED, EVERY PART REJOICES WITH IT.

We are the body of Christ. If one man suffers, all suffer. Yes, the world is unfair. Yes, there will be rich people and there will be poor people. If we are over concentrating on one part, we are missing the point! God has made each part different. God has combined the different members, He has given greater honour to the parts that lack it, and there should be no division in the body. We must have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.

Imagine what this world would look like if the poor were praying for the rich. Praying that God will use them, bless them with even more, so that they can use their wealth for God’s glory. Imagine what this world would look like if the rich were praying for the poor.

Romans 15:1-6 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that though endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. MAY THE GOD WHO GIVES ENDURANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT GIVE YOU A SPIRIT OF UNITY AMONG YOURSELVES AS YOU FOLLOW CHRIST JESUS, SO THAT WITH ONE HEART AND MOUTH YOU MAY GLORIFY THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

#2 – Unity (If one suffers, all suffer) God’s encouragement to us all today is to be united. Again we all come with a whole bag of stuff; different colours, different languages, different gifts, and we are all filled with good stuff and bad stuff.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

God says in Romans 15:1, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failing of the weak and not to please ourselves.” I hope that we would imprint this key point in our hearts today. Are we strong enough to bear the failings of the weak? Or are we after pleasure in life?

Today, let us pray for those that are weak and for those that are strong. Let us pray for those that are hurting and those who are rejoicing. Let us pray for those that are struggling to forgive and those who have repented. It is time we unite and not divide. Let us pray for unity and not division. God says in Romans 15:4, “For 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.”

Do we have hope? Do we believe the impossible? Do we have hope in ourselves? If one suffers…ALL SUFFER!

© 2009 Lee Shaun Tzen. www.everynation.org.sg
archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com