Affirm Others By Accepting Them

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Better Together

Affirm Others By Accepting Them By Rick Warren — May 24, 2015 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you.” (Romans 15:7 NIV) Here’s a little secret: Everybody is looking for affirmation. Have you noticed that? People will do almost anything to get it. If you don’t believe that, just watch some of the reality shows. Look at what people do to get on TV, just so people will applaud them. God is an incredibly affirming and loving Father. When you affirm other people, you are showing love and representing Christ. Jesus affirmed people as he ministered, so you are ministering like Jesus did. You’re showing the world a little bit more about what God is like. One of the best ways to affirm people in everyday life is to show them acceptance. Romans 15:7 says,“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you” (NIV). The easy choice sometimes is to snub and belittle and demean people, especially when they don’t measure up to our standards. We all have a tendency to take our strengths and project them on other people, and then put them down when they don’t meet our expectations. For instance, you may be someone who is always punctual, and when other people are late, you tend to look down your nose at them. At the same time, it makes you feel good about yourself because you’re better at being on time. Or maybe you’re a very tidy person who can’t help but notice when you go to other people’s houses how messy everything is, and it makes you feel better about yourself. We tend to project our strengths on other people, forgetting that we have weaknesses in other areas. Let me tell you a better way to feel better about yourself. Instead of doing it by putting other people down, why not try lifting other people up? It gives you a thrill like nothing else. The Bible says in Romans 12:10, “Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another” (AMP). In order to do the work of God, you and I have to value the God given differences among us and the way we are uniquely shaped. Here’s how you know when you’ve accepted someone: You stop insisting that they be just like you. You realize and rejoice in the fact that they’re different. The truth of the matter is, the world would be a boring place if everyone were just like you. So God has made us in all different kinds of ways to do all different kinds of things so everything can get done in this world. The goal of a family, a small group, a church family, or any community group is not to mold people into your image but to accept and affirm each other and help each other discover who God made you to be. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Why do you think we need to feel better about ourselves at the expense of other people? What does it mean to find your worth and other people’s worth in Christ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jjqynuIkFM How does it change the way you look at others? Who can you affirm this week in your family, church, small group, or workplace? How does it make you feel when you do it? Today’s Scripture “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS He is the Healer It doesn’t matter what is “broken” in your life today, God’s nature is to bring you complete healing. Do you need healing in your body? Your mind? Heart? Finances? Relationships? God is your healer. Notice what the Psalmist says in this verse: He binds up their wounds. In the natural, if you have a broken arm, it doesn’t just heal overnight. The doctor makes a cast to hold it in place and protect it. He binds up your wound. In the spiritual realm, God does the same thing. He wraps Himself around your brokenness and protects the wounded area until it is strong enough to function properly again. The Bible also says that He is a restorer. That means that when He does a work of healing in our lives, He makes us better than we were before. If you’re going through the healing process today, know this: it may take longer than you planned, but God is binding up your wound. He is protecting you and healing you. He will bring you out better and stronger than you were before. He will take you to a place of complete healing so that you can live the life of victory He has in store for you. A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for being my healer. Thank You for restoring every area of my life. I give You my brokenness and everything that I am today. Use me for Your glory in Jesus’ name. Amen”