Encourage and Strengthen

I recently saw something that helped me to see another aspect as to why we are put in situations even if they are not of our doings, but of others. This is for me to help me to remember to encourage and strengthen those around me.

Romans 15
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Philippians 2: 1-11
1  So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Colossians 2:1-5

Pain, Suffering and Loss

Our church is going through the book of Job and this past Sunday was very poignant for me personally. We are still in the first parts of the book, but we got to chapter 3 where Job laments his birth and the first round of "advice/ wisdom" given by Job's friends. The pastor and praise team both read Psalm 88 which is also a lament. I have to admit that when he asked if we had ever lamented our birth (and he stated that most of us probably haven't but that was because we might never had been in a place like Job was in at the time) I had to admit that personally I have had a couple of those moments. Sometimes the painfulness of a situation is so overwhelming that you rue the day that you entered this world. We look at the pain, sorrow and suffering we are experiencing and wish we had been taken before we were ever a part of this world. Then on top of this Job's friends all look at the things that have happened to him and tell him it is because his sins must have been great indeed! There was no way that God would allow so much pain, loss and suffering if he was righteous in God's sight. Job knows this is not true and counters their "wisdom" to him. Quite honestly when things happen it is easy to think that this is happening to me because of my own faults. If that pain, loss and suffering affects ME so much it must be some thing of my own doing. How can you believe someone who is part of the cause when they say that this is their sin and has nothing to do with you and you are in no way contributing to the situation, but are an innocent bystander...collateral damage. When a relationship is so affected how can it be the problem of only one person? We think about cause and effect. If I was better would that not mean that this effect would not have been possible? How can one NOT be related to the other? We specifically believe our own wrongs must have lead to this if we have had such "wisdom" share with us by others. If you were good enough..., if you were really wanted than..., if you were truly needed..., yes, that has been said and more. Job questions and pleads his case to God. He knows that God is the true wisdom and that his hope is still in the Lord. I pray that I will also continue to question. That He will provide the true wisdom for me and that I will continue to hold on to Him as my only true hope and my true wisdom.