Belonging To One Another

 An Army Chaplain tells the story of sitting in the Officer’s Club one rainy day. In fact, it was more than rainy.  It was a storm. The winds were blowing fiercely.  The rains were descending in sheets.  Nearby, two officer’s wives were watching the storm through the big picture window.

Suddenly, through a flash of lightning, one of the women saw a solider standing outside on guard duty totally at the mercy of the raging storm.  “Oh dear”, she said, “Look at the poor solider out there in the storm.”  The other woman caustically replied, “My dear, it’s perfectly alright.  He’s only a private.” 

      Some people view others in this world with the “he’s only” attitude.  “He’s only a student.”  “She’s only a housewife.”  “He’s only janitor.”  “She’s only a clerk.”  They are only a _______” It is an attitude that views one’s self as superior, and others as less important.  Less valuable. 

      Tonight, I am beginning a series at Northside church in Ft Lauderdale entitled “Belonging to One Another.”  It is based on Paul statement in Romans 12:4-5. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

      There are many one another commands in the New Testament.  We are to accept one another. Care for one another. Be a blessing to one another. Confess our sins to one another. Serve one another.  Be devoted to one another. Bear One another’s burdens. Comfort one another. Forgive one another.  On the negative side we are warned not to bite and devour one another.  And all one another exhortations can be summed in one word—love.  Because we belong to another in the same body.  The same Family.  The same blood bought relationship with Christ.  We love one another.

      The way of Christ is the “One Another Way.” In both the analogy of the body and the family, each member has a function, a role, and a responsibility to the other members. Each person is important.  All are valuable.  There should never an attitude toward fellow Christians “he’s only a private.”  All of us are soldiers marching together under the banner of our Commander-in-Chief. 

      A proper functioning church family will have many members contributing to its success in different ways based on each person’s gifts.  It takes time, talent, energy and even money to achieve spiritual success.  May we walk and model the one another way.  May we in all our work, relationships and responsibilities seek to “edify one another” and “encourage one another,” as we enjoy “fellowship with one another.”

      I’m looking forward to this week-end with the Northside brethren.  One, because I know the Family of Christ can be strengthened by walking the one another way.  But also because I know these studies will help me have more care, greater concern, and deeper love for my brothers and sisters in Christ.  After all we belong to one another.

—Ken Weliever, The Preacherman