IBS Application for Romans 15:1

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Like some of the other more recent verses to be featured as part of our IBS list for this week, there’s a great deal of applicable truth contained within this one verse. This one has a great deal of context to work with, though. The context in this case, is a long series of exhortations in the chapters leading up to this chapter concerning the ways in which Paul had observed “failings of the weak” in the church.

The observations of these failings covered a wide range of ways in which people commonly fail to hit the mark. In some cases, the failings had to do with failing to live as living sacrifices, as Christ did; in other cases, it was an issue with being subject to authority; in others still, it was a failure to not pass judgement on a fellow believer in an unrighteous manner. There’s more mentioned in these preceding chapters, but listing every single problem that Paul mentioned here is beside the point.

It’s interesting to me that Paul spends time building up to more and more specific problems as he goes on explaining these problems and their solutions. In the explanation of the problems concerning unrighteous judgement, he outright states that these are issues concerning those who are weaker in our faith, but that the problems are ultimately being perpetrated by those who are stronger in their faith. The ones Paul had observed passing judgement were those who should have known better than to do so.

God, through Paul, challenges those within the church to be an edifying presence to those who are still maturing in their faith here. And it’s a command that comes at the expense of that which may be pleasing to those who are more mature in their walks; in the section just prior to this verse, Paul talks about how eating certain foods can cause a brother to stumble, and that we shouldn’t “for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.” Our selected verse is all about laying down that which may “edify” ourselves for the edification of others, that the whole Body of Christ may be strengthened.

Practically, I believe that this is going to something that everyone in Class 14 is going to have to take to heart. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, there are ways in which we all require edification and help in our growth. Thankfully, as I’ve said in a previous IBS, God has placed people here in this team that have helped challenge, exhort and edify those who need it. The challenge for those who are in a position to help, though, is to lay down their pride as it concerns those who are weaker than them in some aspect of their walks. If we approach aiding those who need aid without a loving heart of submission, we will get in the way of letting God do His work through us, and God won’t let His work be hindered. He will shelve us if we become a stumbling block to others.

For my application this week, I’ll spend some time in the mornings and before Team Guatemala’s meetings asking that He would take away whatever pride I have in any aspect of my faith and give me a submissive heart towards those whom I have been made uniquely qualified to help, so that God may be able to use me in a way that benefits those around me.