Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10
This relates to the way in which we speak to one another and the way that we speak about one another. We live in a culture that thrives on putting other people down. God says, “Let it be different among you.”
With all the good that has come with the way people are connected, social media has given a platform for anger. God says, “Let this be different among my people.”
Jesus calls us to be a community of people who lift each other up in a culture where people pull each other down. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29, NIV).
When we lift up who we are, male or female, black or white, rich or poor, etc., people are pulled apart, and what you have is an endless battle of which group will prevail over the others. The church is called to something different. Our calling is to lift up who Jesus is! When that happens, people who may have little in common in this world are brought together.
Does the church always do this exceptionally well? No, not always. Too often it becomes about us and what we want, and when that happens we end up being a mirror of the world. But God says, especially as the world gets darker, “Outdo one another in showing honor.”
In a world of growing anger and hatred, God overcomes evil with good by planting communities of people who genuinely love one another, and at the center of these communities is Jesus Christ.
What is one small step you could take with your words that would result in less putting others down and more building others up?
