"The answer to the question, 'Am I my brother's keeper?'
must always be, 'No! I am my brother's brother.' "
~ Paul Klapper
must always be, 'No! I am my brother's brother.' "
~ Paul Klapper
One Body
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think ... we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
~ Romans 12:3,5,10 (NKJV)
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
~ Ephesians 5:29-30 (NKJV)
May I share three of my greatest burdens in life?
The first concerns my five children. I see their love for one another displayed in quiet ways. But out loud it seems they can't stand one another. Cajoling is as good as it gets. The worst? Not fit for public description.
Second is that my eight siblings all live far away. I dearly love them. I'd do absolutely anything within my ability and morals for each one of them, in preference over myself, without concern for any sacrifice. Facebook is a lifeline to my sisters. My brothers? I can hardly stand the separation of both distance and sparse communication.
It makes me want to cry to think of how much I miss my siblings. I want to cry again when I see my children fight. They don't know how brief this time together will be. They don't understand how much they really mean to one another. They're missing out on fleeting opportunities to share love. And they weaken our family when they work against one another instead of together.
I also share the burden of our heavenly Father when those who are His children—tied together by the blood of Christ—waste precious opportunities to demonstrate love and instead tear one another down in our foolish pride.
We are one body. In working against one another, and in failing to build up other members of Christ's body, we weaken ourselves as well.
Our Father in Heaven, thank You for making us Your children! Even when we're trying to show love we can mess up and hurt one another. How much more so when our pride escapes! Please give us Your eyes to see others. Please fill us with Your love, and give us the will and ability to express it.
Your questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think ... we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
~ Romans 12:3,5,10 (NKJV)
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
~ Ephesians 5:29-30 (NKJV)
May I share three of my greatest burdens in life?
The first concerns my five children. I see their love for one another displayed in quiet ways. But out loud it seems they can't stand one another. Cajoling is as good as it gets. The worst? Not fit for public description.
Second is that my eight siblings all live far away. I dearly love them. I'd do absolutely anything within my ability and morals for each one of them, in preference over myself, without concern for any sacrifice. Facebook is a lifeline to my sisters. My brothers? I can hardly stand the separation of both distance and sparse communication.
It makes me want to cry to think of how much I miss my siblings. I want to cry again when I see my children fight. They don't know how brief this time together will be. They don't understand how much they really mean to one another. They're missing out on fleeting opportunities to share love. And they weaken our family when they work against one another instead of together.
I also share the burden of our heavenly Father when those who are His children—tied together by the blood of Christ—waste precious opportunities to demonstrate love and instead tear one another down in our foolish pride.
We are one body. In working against one another, and in failing to build up other members of Christ's body, we weaken ourselves as well.
Our Father in Heaven, thank You for making us Your children! Even when we're trying to show love we can mess up and hurt one another. How much more so when our pride escapes! Please give us Your eyes to see others. Please fill us with Your love, and give us the will and ability to express it.
Your questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
I read a lot about pride in the book I'm reading, Fresh Start. Anne, this post hits home with me. I'm one of four girls and I have three daughters. Unity and bondedness is such a desire of mine, but I often see, like you wrote, us/my children working against one another.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these thoughts.
Things like this, though sad, make me excited for heaven.
~ Wendy
Bless you for sharing this my friend, love you.
ReplyDelete"Please give us Your eyes to see others"
ReplyDeleteAmen.
I pray to see in light of eternity revealing our unity "my brothers brother." and the brevity of life.
Thank you for yet another great post.
I hate division as well. I long for a day of unity without interruption. I'm looking up...
ReplyDeleteAnne, what a great picture of disunity in the body -- that of my kids wrestling each other down. I don't know that I've ever quite connected the two.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I suppose that God might be doing the heavy sigh and eye roll at us that I'm famous in my house for when it all starts in the Family.
Wendy, I look forward to heaven not only for the unity and peace, but for the good laugh we'll have about how silly our divisions have been.
ReplyDeleteDenise, thank you for the sweet spirit of unity and building up others so evident on your blog.
Doug, that prayer has helped me through more conflicts than I'd like to admit ever having.
T. Anne, even with "interruption," I'm grateful for people willing to work for unity now.
Lyla, I like the image of God rolling His eyes at us. I'm sure His heavy sigh is a patient one. Thanks for commenting.