Help the Weak with Their Weaknesses
"We who are strong in faith should help the weak with their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves.
Let each of us please our neighbours for their good, to help them be stronger in faith.
Even Christ did not live to please himself."
(Romans 15: 1, 2)
Let each of us please our neighbours for their good, to help them be stronger in faith.
Even Christ did not live to please himself."
(Romans 15: 1, 2)
The Christian life is about growth and this growth is about togetherness. The essence of this life of faith is to complete the race, each in her/his own track, and in the way that God had planned it for them. And that's where the lifestyle of helping the weak in their weaknesses gains importance.
Weakness prevails in the absence of faith. As I share this thought, the lyrics of Don Moen's song Give thanks with a grateful heart comes to my mind, where we sing in faith, "and now let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord hath done, give thanks..." First of all, it is a calling in the life of a Christian to practice this faith and then to share the fruits of this faith with others. Wherever there is weakness, a Christian is called to give strength; give strength by her/his faith. It is the faith that we have in the Lord that gives us the strength to face every day. It is this faith that keeps us moving. It is a strong faith that keeps us focussed. And, it is this faith that we are called to share when people are weak.
In his letter written to Romans, Paul lays importance on this practice of Christian faith. Paul reminds us that being strong in the midst of weaknesses through faith and helping others in their weaknesses through the same faith is an essential part of a Christian. I am in admiration of the way how Paul directly connects 'strong faith' to 'helping others in their weaknesses.' He says, in Romans 15: 1, "We who are strong in faith should help the weak with their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves." First of all, we must be strong in our faith, and then we should look forward to helping others in their weaknesses. This is when the Christian faith becomes fruitful. Our strong faith in the Lord is not only to please ourselves in the midst of our weaknesses but also to help others.
Paul continues to write saying "Let each of us please our neighbours for their good, to help them be stronger in faith. Even Christ did not live to please himself" (Romans 15:2). The practice and fruit of our faith should not end with us. It should go beyond the narrow circle called 'myself' and help neighbours ('the other'). Only then our practice of faith bears fruits. If my strong faith is not going to help others in their weaknesses, to help them be stronger in their faith, then my faith is only pleasing myself, and that is not the way we are called to live. We are called to help others grow strong in faith in the midst of their weaknesses. Let our faith uplift them in their faith! So, through the strong faith that we have shared with them, they will see their weaknesses fading away and a new faith-filled life will be found in the midst of struggles.
We find the example of this faith in Christ Jesus. I remember Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. In the midst of the human weaknesses that was trying to overshadow God the Father's will and Jesus's exemplary faith, He prays "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done" (Matthew 26:42). Even in the midst of his human weaknesses, it was the strong faith in the Father kept Jesus focussed on the greatest purpose for which He came to this world - to die on the cross as a ransom for the sins of this world. And then, Christ Jesus's faith went beyond Himself and helped us to become right in the presence of God by the sacrifice He did on the cross. In the midst of our weakness and inability to overcome the bondage of sin, the strong faith of Christ came beyond himself and helped us.
Today it is a great calling for us to be Christ-like. As Christians, we are called to be strong in our faith in the Lord, practice the faith, and then to reach others in their weaknesses, so that they would grow in faith too. Let us go beyond the little circle called "ourselves" and let us share the fruits of our faith in the midst of the weaknesses of people around us. Let the love of Christ Jesus be shared. I pray that the blessings of God the Father, the grace of Christ Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit help us to go beyond and share the love of God.
May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
