Devotional

Something interesting happens whenever we meet someone who comes from our birthplace—there is an immediate assumption of comradery, a sense that “we are on the same side.” I’ve bumped into people in foreign countries who came from the same state as I did, and the eager conversation reveals the belief that we must have lots in common, and would certainly be friends if we met back home.

Of course, our hometowns, high schools, and colleges were full of people with whom we had nothing in common! People who get under our skin—with whom we most certainly wouldn’t be friends!—lived in our dorms, attended our classes, were born in the same hospital. But in those brief moments in an airport or at a party, we assume a commonality with the stranger.

The same tendency holds true in the Christian faith! When we initially meet someone who is also a Christian, our common faith excites us and makes us eager to talk. But in any given church you will find people at odds with one another, irritated over personality quirks and thoughtless words. In other words, being on the same side doesn’t necessarily mean that we like each other!

On Sunday, in Psalm 15, we heard that the one who dwells in God’s presence, “makes much of those who fear the Lord.” The previous Sunday, in Psalm 16, we heard David pray, “All my delight is upon the saints who are on the earth.” These verses call us to a particular inclination of the soul, an inclination that honors and delights in others, simply because they worship the same God as us. We all know how easy it is to be annoyed with other Christians, but these verses point to something important—the people who look like Jesus Christ strive to honor and even delight in other followers of God, simply because they are followers of God.

That this should be our perspective isn’t hard to prove. After all, if God loves that person who bothers us, we should love them, too. If they are “in Christ,” just as we are “in Christ,” hating them or gossiping about them is hating Christ or slandering Jesus! Jesus says that whatever we do to the littlest member of his body we actually do to him (Mt. 25:31-46)!

It doesn’t take much effort to honor and delight in the other Christians we enjoy. But there are people in all of our lives who are not so delightful! Yet the call is the same—we should honor them, delight in them, submit to them. This is what love looks like, and Jesus said that we would be known as his disciples by our love for one another (Jn. 13:35).

Pray with me that we would grow deeper and deeper into being people who honor, delight in, and submit to other Christians, simply because they also are in Christ. Pray that this love would shine forth in the world, revealing Jesus to those who are in darkness.

Steven+