Affirmation part 3
As able bodied ministers of the New Covenant, it is our "job" to affirm one another, rather than condemning one another. But I want to make it very very clear that I'm NOT saying we should put ourselves in bad situations. For example, if you have a problem with alcohol, and your friends want to go to the bar... don't condemn them for wanting to go, just don't go with them. You don't have to "fix" their problem just because you have the same problem. But you CAN take care of yourself. And you SHOULD take care of yourself. There's a big difference in letting people be who they are, and going along with any and everything. Because even while you're letting them be who THEY are, you need to be who YOU are. And, continuing our example, even if you have a problem with alcohol... that's not who you are. That's just something you have to deal with. And, really, that's just something that you have to see that Jesus dealt with it on the cross. I'm absolutely convinced that we don't need to change. We don't need to be someone we're not. What we need is to SEE the change that took place on the cross. To SEE that Jesus overcame the world, and because HE overcame we are MORE than conquerers through Him that loves us. So instead of trying to change... instead of trying to get others to change... instead of struggling with things... we need to start resting. Start flowing. Start ENJOYING the gift (of eternal life) that we've been given! Look at Philippians 4:4 in the Message Bible, "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!" This should be our mindset. What's the old phrase? An attitude of gratitude. And watch this: How do we love God? By loving each other. How do we serve God? By serving each other. How do we celebrate God? By celebrating each other! I know it sounds a little hippy dippy to say that we're all unique snowflakes... but guys, we're all unique snowflakes. We--each and every one of us--are fearfully and wonderfully made. We all have strengths and weaknesses. And here's the glorious part, "...yea, he is altogether lovely..." (Song of Solomon 5:16). Jesus is altogether lovely... and that means all together WE are lovely! Different parts of the same body, right? Some things I can do, you can't. And some things I can't do, you can. So when we come together--celebrate together, share what we've got and who we are--then we can do anything! So let's shake this idea of condemnation. Let's stop trying to get everybody to be exaclty the same. "If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" (1 Corinthians 12:15). We're all parts of the same body--the body of Christ--but we're all DIFFERENT parts of that body. By design. So that together we can do anything. So that by bearing one another's burdens, and esteeming one another higher than ourselves... by celebrating and affirming one another... we can all learn and grow TOGETHER. Again, you don't have to put yourself in a bad situation in order to accept someone. You simply have to let them be who they are, and you simply have to be who YOU are. That's true acceptance. And then, when you focus on their strengths, and complement their weaknesses, that's true affirmation!