Build Each Other Up

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I admire, and dare I say envy, people who wake up in the morning ready to take on the day the moment their feet hit the floor. My brain doesn’t function well until I’ve had a couple of cups of coffee so first thing each morning I come to the computer and take a bit of a leisurely look around while I'm waking up.

This morning I stopped by a website that purports to be ‘discerning’ which apparently means the writer feels a commission to tear down just about every pastor, preacher, prophet, writer and possibly the cleaning lady in the office too. It seems the author of these articles believes it’s important to point out every error found and, therefore, conclude that if there is one error an entire ministry is worthless.

Out of curiosity I read a few of these articles and the more I did, the more I found myself unsettled to the point of discouragement.

Interesting.

Discouragement doesn't come from the Holy Spirit. So then I began to question why someone would feel their ‘mission’ was to point to relatively trivial error in people and their ministry in the name of discernment rather than point to the goodness and wonder of God. I suspect this person truly believes the work of the website is very important because it will, presumably, keep people from error in their own lives. However, rather than having that effect it seems to me it’s divisive and accusing which has the potential to be far more injurious than a preacher who might have ‘misinterpreted’ a passage of scripture one week.

What was particularly glaring though was the way there didn’t appear to be any evidence of the Kingdom of God. I didn’t see forgiveness or love or kindness or loyalty toward other Christians but instead had the impression of an arrogant assault. So I did a Google search to see how many of these kinds of ‘ministries’ there are on the internet and discovered they’re all over the place.

Perhaps it’s the way the internet allows one to speak one’s mind without a kind and loving confrontation…. or provides the ability to rant.

Perhaps I’m doing the very same thing here.

I’d best go to prayer.

Holly

Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. So don’t condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian’s path.

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement help you live in complete harmony with one another--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.

From Romans 14 and 15