Knit Together part 5
I think one of the best ways to knit yourself together with someone is to go along with them. To let them do what is in their heart to do, and to support them while they're doing it. Like Isaac with Abraham. And that doesn't mean enabling people. Enabling someone will never help them. Ever. And if you're not helping, you're hurting. But what I want to talk about tonight, to end this Rant series, is supporting people. Look at Romans 14:19, "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." Follow after peace. Stop trying to make people fit into your idea of who or what they should be. Let people be who they are and love them for who they are. Edify them. And that word, by the way, is number 3619 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means "confirmation." Building people up. Not telling them what's wrong with them all the time, but telling them what's right with them. Giving THEM something to build on. If someone is always telling you you're worthless... that doesn't really give you anywhere to go from there. That's like starting at the bottom and working your way down. Now look at 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." The tide raises all ships. We're all in this together. If you want to feel comforted, comfort someone. Give what you "want" in order to find out that you have it. Like the Wizard of Oz. They went on a journey to get something, but if they hadn't have had it in the first place they never would have been able to complete the journey. And did you catch that? It's the JOURNEY. This life is a never-ending, eternal life-long JOURNEY into the heart of the matter. Which is the heart. God's heart beating with love in our chests. Which, by the way, is how we edify each other. Because you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. God has to first edify you--and He might do that by having people in your life edify you--before He can expect you to edify someone else. That's called "comforting yourselves together." Helping each other. Building those connections and relationships that are so important. Not demanding anything from anybody, but getting in where you fit in. I Ranted a while back about how some guys at work were so excited for new music coming out from this certain band. A band that I don't care about one way or the other. But what I did was, I let them be excited. I shared in their excitement. Because it's not all about me. I can be involved with something and not be the center of attention. I can do things for other people because I know it makes THEM happy. I can support them. Go along with them. Edify them. Make peace. And in that way, I can HAVE peace. If you want peace... make it. Be the change that you want to see in the world. If you don't want to be alone, or lonely, be friendly. If you want a friend... be a friend. If you want to feel loved... love someone. If you want to feel edified... edify someone. By giving what you've got, you experience what you've got. Go along. Together. Knit yourself. Together!