Romans 12 (Just read the whole chapter. It’s good and speaks to every aspect of this writing.)
Do you ever feel down for no reason? Have you ever spent hours or maybe even days with a sense of heaviness? Have those times ever been accompanied by finding out that someone you know is going through a difficult time? Maybe you’ve even taken a feeling of heaviness to God in prayer and He brought someone to your mind to pray for. Maybe God even gave you an encouraging word to share with that person that totally lifted them during their trial.
These times may seem a bit overwhelming, but this is part of what it means to be the body of Christ. When one part suffers, all the rest are affected, and the same goes for when one part rejoices. The very nature of our relationship to each other demands that we share the burdens and blessings of each member of the body. And because I am often led to pray for others during their trial, I can be confident that when I experience difficult times, the Spirit is leading others to pray for and encourage me as well. What a treasure God has given us in each other! So here’s my challenge to us today:
1. Read Romans 12. The whole thing. It’s so good!
2. The next time you feel heaviness, ask God about it in prayer. Maybe God will give you insight about a situation, an encouraging word for someone, or maybe He will just fill you with compassion for someone and you will continue to lift them up in prayer.
3. The next time you go through a difficult time, remember that you are part of a body that is called to experience life together. Remember that God is leading people to pray for you and to reach out to you. Keep your eyes open for who those people might be. (I wonder sometimes if God sends people to help us but since they’re not who we were expecting or hoping for, we totally miss it.)
We are meant to bear one another’s burdens and blessings. We are meant to cry and laugh together. Like it or not- we are in this together!
Love,
Pastor Deb
