| II Chronicles 32:1-33:13; Romans 15:23-16:9; Psalm 25:16-22; Proverbs 20:16-18
In Romans 16:1-8, Paul is encouraging those in the body to receive Phoebe. She is a woman who has well proven herself as a servant of the church. She is what is considered a deaconess and has been a helper of many people, including Paul. He continues greeting a lot of people he’s been associated with. I like Paul’s attitude. He does his best to help people move forward in order to progress the work of God. The Apostle Paul is an edifier, he builds people up. As he goes through his list, he has something positive to say about each person, “These hold church in their home, this one works very hard, and this one is my dear friend.”
It’s so important to be positive and to lift up the good qualities in people. Everybody appreciates an “atta-boy” from time to time and it goes a long way in expanding the Body of Christ. Kingdom business can be unappreciated, tough work, so in order to assemble teams that are able to spread the gospel it requires leaders who are able to see beyond people’s little flaws and idiosyncrasies. Most everyone you will meet has some baggage from their life, either from their upbringing or personal mistakes they have made. Leaders have a responsibility to lift them up, to help them heal, to show them truth in the Word that can transform them because everybody in Christ has something to bring to the table.
Why not help someone feel special. It’s a shallow, insecure person who feels the need to keep people suppressed. The Apostle Paul was not this way at all. He saw whole people as the building blocks of the faith. It was his heart to expose them to the Word, the work of the Holy Spirit and whatever positivity that he could offer to help them grow.
PRAYER:
Lord, I pray to have an uplifting attitude and to esteem others better than myself. My heart’s desire is to see Your kingdom grow with healthy, balanced people. Help me to do my part. Please forgive me for ever hurting or misleading Your people. I pray You would deliver me from being used as a tool of the enemy. I submit my life to You. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. |
