Morning Minute — 02/18/2011
Romans 15:2 says this – “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” (NKJV) Often, in our relationships with other people, it’s easy to want to focus on only discussing things that are “pleasing … Continue reading →
Romans 15:2 says this –
“Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” (NKJV)
Often, in our relationships with other people, it’s easy to want to focus on only discussing things that are “pleasing to the ears” – you know, those things that are either light-hearted, casual, complimentary, etc. Those are things that are easy to talk about. They don’t require much thought. There’s usually laughter and smiles associated with the topics. And most of all, there’s little risk of offending anyone or hurting someone’s feelings.
It’s funny what we’ll do to avoid a possible confrontation. We’ll bottle things up inside…even break off a relationship with someone…all in the name of avoiding conflict.
Sometimes it’s because of the way it makes us feel. We get nervous, and we genuinely don’t want to hurt someone else by anything we say. Sometimes it’s out of caution – we know what Jesus said in Luke 6:41-42 –
“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you
yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own
eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” (NKJV)
Most of us realize we have our own faults, and the much more important focus should often be on getting our own issues worked out with God before we try to tackle someone else’s issues.
But either way, it’s easy to let issues remain unresolved. They don’t get worked out, and relationships – and even families – can suffer as a result.
Like it or not, sometimes we need to take the time – we need to care about someone enough – to share our concerns with them. Looking at Romans 15:2 above, there are some key things in that verse that can be easily missed or misinterpreted:
- “Let each of us” – This means that every Christian has the responsibility to do what is mentioned in this verse. It’s not a single person’s job – each of us should take the initiative, whether it makes us uncomfortable or not, to do what follows in the rest of this verse.
- “please” – Often, we look at this word, and it’s easy to think that we should only be saying things that are pleasant. That’s not the case. The original Greek word translated as “please” is pronounced “ar-ES-ko”, and it literally means “to be agreeable”. In other words, it doesn’t mean that we have to only say things that are pleasant – it means we should focus on being pleasant when we share what is on our hearts. If you have a relationship with at least one other human being, you will have some strife in that relationship. It’s not a matter of “if”…it’s a matter of “when”. We need to work those things out…but how we say what we need to say is almost as important as the subject itself. If we approach the situation with a focus on being pleasant, then it’s easier for the person on the receiving end to hear what we have to say without getting defensive or misunderstanding things.
- “his neighbor” — Of course, this doesn’t mean just the people living on either side of you. Literally, this is referring to those who are near. These are people in your family, people you hang out with, people in your church, people at your job, etc., those people whom God has allowed to be part of your world, and you part of theirs.
- “for his good” – This phrase comes from a Greek phrase that can be literally interpreted as “for his benefit”. This is important, because there are times when the thing that is difficult to discuss is exactly what is needed to be beneficial. In fact, not talking about it would end up hurting the person or the relationship in the long-run.
- “leading to edification” – This means that the ultimate goal must be the strengthening of the person with whom you need to discuss something. If your goal is to share something with someone that you know will make them self-conscious or will tear them down, then that is the wrong motivation completely. But, if your goal is to say what you need to say for the purpose of strengthening that person and your relationship with that person (or the relationship between that person and someone else), then that is the RIGHT motivation.
So, as you look at this verse, what God is reminding us is that, as Christians, we have the responsibility – as we look out for each other and love one another through Christ – to share those things that will ultimately strengthen one another. Sometimes that may be recognizing a job well done…or extending thanks for some hard work put forth…or affirming a positive quality that you see in someone. However, there are other times when it might mean letting someone know where you see something going wrong – like bad choices being made or highlighting when they have said or done something that hurt you. In fact, if something has happened to us that has caused us anger, we should recognize that there is a time and a place to discuss everything; however, there is also an urgency, too, for God’s Word reminds us in Ephesians 4:26-27 – “ Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” (NKJV)
No matter what it is that you are feeling burdened to share with someone, remember the goals of being pleasant and remaining focused on ultimately strengthening that person. This will bring about the edification that they need and help each of us as Christians to grow strong in our faith!
Have a blessed day today and a wonderful weekend!
–Pastor John