I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-56)

I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT?

RELATIONSHIPS
There are several scriptures that give us
instructions for relationships with other believers.

We are told to “love each other”.
    A new command I give you: Love one another.
    As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
    (John 13:34)

    How can we love each other? We can have compassion
    for others and console them when they are sad. We can
    encourage them and attend to whatever needs they may
    have.

    We can be a sounding board and listen when they need
    someone to talk to whom they can trust. Offering advice
    is okay in some situations, but there are times when we
    just need to be good listeners. During those times, if
    someone wants our advice, they will ask for it.

    We can also show love by being a trustworthy friend. We can
    assure them that they can talk to us in complete confidence. It
    means that we will not share with anyone what we have talked
    about, that we will not be judgmental, and that we will pray for
    them.

We are told that we should “accept each other”.
    Accept one another, then, just as Christ
    accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
    (Romans 15:7)

    Satan will try to convince us that we should not accept others
    because of their appearance, or due to the way they have
    treated us. We have to remember that God made each person
    as He saw fit, so if He accepts them, then we need to do the same.

    Jesus accepted us in spite of the way the world treated Him. He
    accepts us even though we may hide our relationship with Him
    in certain social circles. We should never be inconsistent in
    allowing others to observe our faith.
        If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in
        this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son
        of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes
        in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
        (Mark 8:38)

We are instructed to
“be kind and compassionate to each other”,
and to “forgive each other”.
    Be kind and compassionate to one another,
    forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
    forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

    Being kind can encompass many areas including being
    courteous and respectful of others. It is amazing how
    rude believers can be to each other during conversations
    (either one on one, or in a group setting).

    Talking over another person who is speaking is just rude
    and inconsiderate, unless there is some emergency that
    requires immediate attention. It is disrespectful and sends
    a message to the other person that whatever they have to
    say is not nearly as important as what you have to say.
    to say, then maybe it should not be said. In today’s world,
    ignoring a text from someone is also a way of showing
    disrespect for another person.

    When it comes to forgiving each other, Jesus set the standard
    for forgiveness when he forgave those who were instrumental
    in causing His death. If Jesus forgave in a situation where His
    life was taken, then surely we can forgive in any other situation
    that has far less severe consequences.

    I have known people (who claimed to be Christians) who have
    held grudges for years. That doesn’t sound very forgiving,
    does it? Jesus had an attitude of forgiveness and He expects
    the same attitude of His followers.

    Holding a grudge not only affects our witness, but can also
    cause us to have health issues. Rather than wasting valuable
    time thinking about how someone treated us and how we are
    going to get even, we should be spending time trying to find
    out how the Lord wants to use us in His ministry.

“Carrying each other’s burdens”
is another instruction from God’s Word.
    Carry each other’s burdens, and
    in this way you will fulfill the law
    of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

    How can we help someone with their burdens? We can listen
    to them and we can pray for them. If they need help of any
    kind, we can be available. It could be something as simple as
    giving them a ride to pick up their car at the repair shop, or
    giving them a ride to a doctor’s appointment.

    Imagine what a comfort it is for someone to know that they can
    confidently call on us and we will be available whenever possible.
    Over the years, the members of our Sunday school class have been
    very good about taking food to families who are ill, or who have
    lost a loved one. This is just one example of what could be called
    a ‘shared ministry’ to help someone with their burdens.

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