The one another verses of the bible remind me how fruitless it is to focus on God-honoring finances if we dishonor God by failing to love our brothers and sisters in the faith. This was something that our Lord condemned in the Pharisees (Matthew 23:23). This thought was placed upon my heart recently, and I wanted to share it with you.
My wife and I drove down to her parents house for an early Memorial Day celebration. While we were having a conversation about God and Christian living, my mother-in-law shared with us a passage from her daily devotional (I believe it was Our Daily Bread). It focused on how we, as Christians, are to conduct ourselves toward one another.
The One Another Verses
We are to:
Love one another – John 13:35 – By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
Admonish one another – Romans 15:14 – And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.
Bear one another’s burdens – Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
Be kind to one another – Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Be subject to one another – Ephesians 5:21 – …and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Comfort one another – 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Live in peace with one another – 1 Thessalonians 5:13 – …and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
Confess sin to one another – James 5:16 – Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Be hospitable to one another – 1 Peter 4:9 – Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
Living Out These Admonitions
This is not an exhaustive list of the one another verses in scripture, but these examples serve to show as a breadth of service and selflessness we should extend to other Christians. It reminds me of Christ’s example of humility and service in Philippians 2, as He humbled himself, to the point of death, on our behalf.
By nature, I am a very private person and I tend to keep to myself – that makes it difficult to be obedient to some these commands. I have noticed that the more time I spend in prayer and in studying God’s word, the easier it gets to obey God. This is one of the reasons we are commanded to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and to “lay aside [our] old self” (Ephesians 4:22).
I am going to be sure to incorporate each one of these things into my prayers every day! It is not enough for us to wear the title “Christian”, but we are to be transformed into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
I ask that every believer reading this continue to pray that my wife and I will submit to God in these areas, and that our love for God will be displayed in how we act toward our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Reader Questions
How do you ensure to have these character traits when relating to fellow believers?
What advice would you give to someone who is seeking to follow these commands?
How do you handle struggling in these areas?
I would love to read your comment below.
Why You Need to Diversify Your Income Sources
As much as possible, I try to be less judgemental. Somehow if I can abandon personal judgement, the other things tend to flow. Maybe it’s a way of taking the plank out of my own eye so I’m free to focus on doing what scripture tells me to?
I also agree with you, time spent in prayer and in study makes it all happen. If left to my own thoughts, I can rationalize almost any line of thinking, good or bad. We all need a standard to live by.
.-= Kevin@OutOfYourRut´s last blog ..Minimum Monthly Balance Tip For Credit Card Debt =-.
I agree with you, it is very important to first look at ourselves and allow God to change us, rather than focusing on other believers.
Khaleef,
Thanks for sharing these “one another” verses. They are a very real reminder of Jesus’ teaching, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35.
Whether we believers realize it or not, we are being watched. Loving one another honors Christ. Not doing so dishonors him.
.-= Joe Plemon´s last blog ..To Buy or Not to Buy? The “Cost Per Use” Method =-.
This article truly came in a timely manner. I can totally relate to your personal nature conflicting with some of the statues that God asks us as Christians to uphold. I could also admit that I have even forgotten some of these in my relationships with other believers. With all diligence I will incorporate these into my daily prayers as well.
@Virtue232 Thanks for the comment.
I’m glad that you found this article to be a blessing to you. It definitely impacted me to see all of those commands together like that. I will pray for you for God to work these things into your character!
@ Joe, I think it is so important for us to realize that our brothers and sisters in Christ are actually the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that we need to treat them accordingly.
Thanks for the comments!