Some of my fondest childhood memories include long summer days at the pool. These memories are filled with flipping off the diving board, shouting “Marco Polo,” and of course, playing King of the Mountain. The goal of King of the Mountain was to be the only one on top of the raft, ruling your kingdom by any means necessary. Growing up with brothers, I had to be scrappy and strategic to win this brutal game. From a young age, I learned that only the strong survive.
I’m told that as a grown-up, it’s not cool to push people off rafts at the pool. The thing is, though, we still want to be on top. We just have different rafts now, and we’ve learned to defend our turf in more covert, “polite” ways.
So much of how we respond has to do with the season we’re in. When we’re treading water, we hope and pray for a gracious hand to help us onto the raft. But when we’re on top, it’s easy to become prideful in our position. It gets especially ugly when we believe there isn’t enough room on the raft for everyone. Even in the Church, we can foster the belief that the kingdom of God only has space for the “good” people, whether we’re conscious of it or not.
In our reading for today, Paul was writing to a Roman church composed of two very different people groups: the Jews and the Gentiles. Even from its earliest days, it seems there were divisions among the believers in that region. Those who were “strong” didn’t want to help those they considered weak. But Paul challenged the Romans to accept one another, just as Christ had accepted them (Romans 15:7).
Paul points out that even the strongest among us, Jesus Christ, did not use His power to please Himself. If anybody had a right to boast, it was the Lord, yet He took our weakness upon Himself to the point of sacrificing His very life.
We are all in need of God’s grace. In that humility, we can seek to be like Jesus Christ, freely passing on the strength and encouragement gifted to us. If the Lord of the universe humbled Himself and bore our weaknesses, how much more eager should we be to do the same for those whom He’s placed around us?
In addition to following the sacrificial example of Jesus, Paul also calls the Roman church to accept one another for the glory of God. When we’re competitive and exclusive in our churches, how do you suppose we’re seen from the outside? Our witness is compromised by our selfishness. But if we’re a countercultural people and can demonstrate with love and sincerity that there is room at the table of God, then we will have something divinely different to offer.
It’s tempting to believe the lie of this world that we must fight to be on top. But in the kingdom of God, there is always enough for everyone. As believers, we’re called to lay down our lives for others just as Christ did, to love both the strong and the weak. If we stop trying to protect our little rafts, together we will glorify and join in celebration with the one true King, who lives and reigns over all the mountains.
Happy Thursday she’s,
Today the word “Endurance” also stood out to me (thank you KRISTINE LOUGHMAN). God’s faithfulness endures forever, it endures our various situations, our various rebellion episodes, all the wayward and stiffneckness of man, His faithfulness endures it all. Praise and Glory to Him in the Highest. I imagine a worn-out God, is His heart tattered? (I am thinking of you ALEIDA as you venture out to find your son and cry with him) just like our Faithful God venture out finding His children patiently, enduring rejection again and again, that none shall be lost but all will come to the knowledge of Truth. He has seen it all since the beginning of His Ancient days, yet come to the Cross, and pay the penalty for us. Glory to the our Faithful God.
@LAURA: I agree 100%. Thank you for your boldness. Let Truth not be compromised. I agree with MICHELLE too in her answer for you, God’s Love is very different (higher) than the World’s Sentimental Love. It includes discipline and chastise. He is both gentle and stern. Laura, if I may suggest regarding discerning God’s good/ acceptable/ perfect will and appropriate course of actions, since you shared, I pray the Lord will speak to you to give you wisdom & directions. Because He does speak when we ask. He said, ask of me anything in My Name and I will give it to you so your joy might be full. Just ask Him for specific guidance & write them down (I do this all the time). He will speak to you, and also through dreams/ people/ news channel/ Bible. And the Spirit within you will bear witness that it is for you (for me it feels like something grabs my gut all of a sudden- it startles me). His Voice will guide you as he says here, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21. It is a realm God wants to elevate His children to walk in. Back in the day, the prophets all talked to God that way before they even had a Bible put together like we have now. Like when Noah made the boat with specific dimensions, what kind of wood to harvest and construct, or when David carrying out battles which directions to go from, or when Solomon built the temple, what specific materials, architectural design to go with, and so on, these are not in the Bible either. They had nothing in the text and had to depend on the voice of God through prayers. Clearly He is taking you there, since you can’t find your answer in the Bible regarding your situation. It’s the Voice realm, not the Word’s realm by the book. I pray you will embark on this… BY FAITH in GOD. He did it for them, will do for you too. May you have great success and unfathomable joy as you discover such wealth of wisdom unfold when God speaks to you and to your specific situations. Hugs and blessings.
Praise His glorious name!
“Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.” This verse made me think of Tanner. I needed to be strong for him when he was unable to do for himself. It was so easy for me to do that. Why is it so hard for me to do that for others? Sometimes I think it’s because I’m so worn out from the last 10 years, but that’s no excuse. I do find myself coming out of grief a bit and joyfully seeing those in my life through a lens I did not have before. I feel lighter. Life was so heavy for awhile. It’s time to step up and remember to love both the weak and the strong. To be a source of encouragement when I can.
Praying LEHUA. The pictures of the fire are so tragically sad. Tanner loved Hawaii so much. We spent a lot of time there. Breaks my heart for all those that call it their home.
In agreement with NANCY S that this is such a beautiful caring community. Thankful for you all.
RHONDA – I’m looking up that book!!
Praying over requests as I read through.
With all that is going on in the world, in our communities and in our families, it is so refreshing to read Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Not only do we have access to joy, peace and hope – but we can overflow with hope, hope in abundance!! As we hope and as we see answers to prayer it prompts us to praise God, to give Him the glory – to proclaim His name! Thank you Paul for including this in scripture!
I pray that same joy, peace and hope for each of you today who are asking for prayer in your specific situations..
@Mia Faith – I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your son, I can’t imagine it. But praise God he knew the Lord. I am praying for your family and the heartbreaking situations you face. Families are complicated – no matter how you look at it. May God fill you with His peace, joy and hope as you work through your difficult circumstances. He is our strength.
@Tia Watkins – praying that God will fill you with hope and remove all of your discouragement.
@Heidi – continuing to pray for Kin, it’s good to hear that the end of her day yesterday ended on a brighter note than it began. Praying she will have a good day today and that the teachers will continue to be supportive. Also praying for you. May God give you clarity and guide you each step of the way.
@Sarah D – prayers for you as school begins next week!
@Lehua K. – I am so sorry to hear of the awful wildfires sweeping your state. Prayers that God will send the rain and put them out. Also praying you hear from your parents soon and that they and the rest of your family are safe. Prayers for those who lost loved ones.
@Rhonda J. – I lead a ladies study a few years back using Sharon Hodes’ Free Of Me….It was a great study! It changed my life – really. God showed me so much about me that I needed to change. I highly recommend the study – it was so good I’d do it again for a refresher!
Have a blessed Thursday my dear SRT sisters – may God’s peace and grace be upon each of you today! ❤️
I love the picture of a raft, and there is room for all!
Thank you all for the prayers and encouragement. ❤️❤️ Continuing to lift up everyone’s prayer requests, including the ones not listed or shared. Also celebrating the little glimpses of miracles as I read them. God is working in, around, and through us. ❤️❤️
I woke up this morning a little dazed, hoping that this was all a bad dream and I’d wake up from it. I’m hesitant to watch/read the news and to go to work (I could work from home but that might not be good for me too)… lots of my dad’s side lost their homes. I still haven’t heard from my parents but I heard indirectly that a few cousins got ahold of them somehow and that they were okay on Tuesday night. I’m supposed to see my parents next Saturday on my mom’s birthday- they were going to Vegas next Monday and were stopping on O’ahu for a layover on their way home. I really hope I can see them soon… last time was New Years.
Praying that our local community stays unified, encouraged, and that God will continue to move and be glorified through it all. Praying for rain and that many will be saved. God doesn’t waste pain.
❤️
I looked up the Matthew Henry commentary on these verses and, boy did he put it into perspective! Even Christ; kai gar ho Christos. Even he who was infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, who needed not us nor our services,—even he who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, who had reason enough to pleas himself, and no reason to be concerned, much less to be crossed, for us,—even he pleased not himself, even he bore our sins. And should not we be humble, and self-denying, and ready to consider one another, who are members one of another?
RACHEL – ❤