“Let The Strong Bear With The Failings Of The Weak!”

“Let The Strong Bear With The Failings Of The Weak!”(Rom.15:1-7).
It is sad some times to hear expressions like,“Strong man helep yi self,” and “Man for himself, God for us all.” In the past life within African villages was communal. What concerned one person concerned the community. A child belonged to everybody. Hence it was said, “A child is yours only when it is still in the womb. Once s/he is born, s/he belongs to everybody.”
Romans tells us, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself…” And Scriptures attest that our insults fell on him. These were written “to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures wr might have hope…”
The strong do not simply have to tolerate the failings of the weak; they should bear with them. We should always have the interest of others at heart. This does not mean that we are going to develop thin waists like the wasps simply because we devoted our time to the interest of the weak. Rather, we should take others as they are. As it is written, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
As believers we need a spirit of unity among ourselves as we follow Christ and only God who gives endurance and encouragement can give us such a spirit.
Endurance and encouragement are central if we must bear with the failings of the weak.
Dear friend, we pilgrim people on this journey of faith are like passengers in a train heading towards the same destination. We may be in different carriages, but we shall all get to our destination same time. Let us continue to stand the gap for the weak, making every effort to lift them up so that we shall get to the rendezvous together; and on time.
It is like we have all been invited to a party. We are from the same point of take off. There are cripples among us. The condition for the party is that the party would begin only when all guests are present. It would be needless to leave the cripples behind as we hurry to the venue. We must help them so that we all arrive same time! Take note that the shot bed or ridge in the farm is not necessarily because the farmer was lazy or that ground was finished. Some things are just the way they are because they ought to be so!
Weekend prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for accepting my insults to fall on you. Teach me to do same for others. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.