1.
Love one another (John 13:34-35). We are not only
to love one another but to love as God loves us. This means we must sometimes
be willing to overlook quirks, shortcomings and weakness. Love suffers long and
is kind. Love is not self-indulgent (1 Cor. 13).
2.
Honor one another (Rom. 12:10). Hold each other up
with dignity and respect. If all you can do is criticize a brother or sister,
there is something wrong with your Christianity.
3.
Give preference to one another (Rom. 12:10). If you
would rather be around worldly company than your spiritual family, there is
something wrong with your Christianity. The world will draw your interest away,
making you more comfortable with them than around your brothers and
sisters-don’t let this happen. Remember that our sufficiency is not found in
the world but in our Lord (2 Cor. 3:5).
4.
Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). There are
some things in life we must bear alone, but there are also things we can bear
together. We are here to help and serve each other, yet the society we live in
often causes this to be a lost concept. Our society’s selfish focus often
causes us to seldom give consideration to the problems of others.
5.
Care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25). This is simply
not an option. Life can become a very hard burden to bear. Be there for each
other.
6.
Have the same mind with one another (Rom. 12:16;
15:5). The mind of Christ.
7.
Edify one another (Rom. 14:19). Build one another
up. This does not mean that you strengthen them in whatever state they are in,
but rather encourage them to be Christ-like.
8.
Be kind and forgive one another (Eph. 4:32).
Kindness can be an outgrowth of forgiveness. Be tender hearted. A tender heart
has a forgiving spirit, while a callous heart holds a grudge. We must forgive
as Christ forgave us.
9.
Forbear one another (Col. 3:13). Forbearing goes
hand-in-hand with forgiving. It’s the easiest thing in the world to lash out
and let your emotions run wild; anyone in the world can do that. It takes a
special heart to forgive.
10. Admonish
one another (Rom. 15:14). Be qualified and willing to admonish. We must be full
of goodness and have the ability to admonish one another with love and
knowledge. Push people on to better things!
11.
Warmly greet one another (Rom. 16:16). Kissing is
not the accepted greeting of today’s society, but there is nothing wrong with a
firm handshake or a warm hug!
12. Serve
one another (Gal. 5:13). We need to be people who put ourselves on the back
burner. We are to constantly be meeting the (physical and spiritual) needs of
others because we are here to serve (Jam. 1:27; Gal. 6:1; John 13).
13. Sing
with one another in worship (Col. 3:16). Singing is not a formality and is not
to be taken lightly. In singing, we teach, admonish and praise.
14. Comfort
and exhort one another (1 Thess. 4:18; Heb. 3:12). Paul wrote to those during
the first century who were losing loved ones because of persecution. Paul wrote
to encourage them to persevere and to remind them of the good things ahead of
us. We, likewise, can remind and encourage each other by talking about what the
future holds for us. We are going to a place of no separation or sadness! A
place where we can spend eternity with one another and with our Lord! We need
to exhort one another daily with these words-not once a week or once a month.
We are only given today; encourage while you still have the opportunity.
15. Pray for
one another (Jam. 5 :16). Pray without ceasing.
16. Attend
all services of the church considering our influence on one another (Heb.
10:23-25). Don’t forsake the assembly.
17. Don’t
envy one another (Gal. 5:26). Don’t desire vain glory. Don’t provoke one
another. Do things with the right motive and attitude.
18. Don’t
judge one another without the facts (Rom. 14:13). You can judge with righteous
judgment, but make sure you have all the facts rather than hearsay when you do
so.
19. Do not
lie to one another (Col. 3:9). Always be truthful. White lies are still lies.
Partial truths are still lies. Honesty is the best policy.
Our responsibilities
go beyond ourselves. We are pushing each other toward salvation. Toward a
faithful life. Toward Christ.
-adapted from a lesson preached by Brother Bill Cantrell