Daily Worship

You accepted us

Jane Denniston October 05, 2014 0 0

Romans 15

We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves.  Instead, we should all please other believers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith.  For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, “The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me.”  Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.  And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus,  so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you.  For I tell you that Christ's life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true,  and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy.

Lord, you accepted us
And in doing so 
You showed us the way.
“Love one another,
As I have loved you”, you said.
And we agree,
Pay lip service,
And agree in principle.

But in practice, how we fail!

We hit back
Instead of turning the other cheek.
We stubbornly hold our ground
Rather than walk even the first mile.
We hold on to what we have
Rather than offer our excess to those in need.
We hold grudges
Instead of forgiving as we have been forgiven.

We judge, criticise, condemn,
Even as we have been accepted, affirmed, forgiven.

Lord, help us to accept others
Even as you accept us.

May we take the beam out of our own eye,
Before we presume to examine the speck in our neighbour’s.
Lord, help us to be generous in forgiveness,
Expansive in acceptance,
Prodigal in loving,
For the sake of your glory.