23/11/2010 - BE OF THE SAME MIND

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Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. (Romans 15:5)

All that the Lord has belongs to us, but we must not think only of the power, ability and some of His virtues which do a tremendous good to us. There are other virtues beyond our imagination that must be sought and put into practice. The verse mentioned above says that the Lord is the God of patience and comfort. If God is, we must also be like Him. If we believe, the Father will grant us these two virtues that are of the utmost importance for our happiness.

With patience, we will open the eyes of many people; we will help them flee from sin and seek the presence of the Father. Once the work is His and nothing happens without His participation, it is not good to rush and expect things to happen overnight. The pregnant woman waits patiently for nine months to have a strong and healthy baby and the farmer waits quietly for the time of harvest.

The same mindset should prevail among the children of God. It is healthy when one brother respects the other, intercedes for him and shows confidence in the fact that the Lord is in charge of everything, believing that, at the right time, He will do the work (Philippians 1:6). The Lord is neither early nor late. The things that are happening in the world are not new to Him; our God was already aware of them. He knew that violence would escalate in our days and that lack of respect would rampage among people (II Timothy 3:1-7). Therefore He teaches us that with patience we will overcome the corrupt politicians and other people of bad character and we also will lead many to enjoy the blessings purchased by Jesus through His death.

Comforting is putting love into action and that\’s what people need. We do not need accusers who consider themselves to be the judges of everything and who point their fingers at other people’s mistakes but fail to see their own faults. Those who have fallen need someone to help them stand on their feet again (Hebrews 12:12). We were made servants of God to help the downcast, the broken and those who cannot see the way out. The comfort of the Lord is the only proof that we can give love to the lost. Jesus comforted people, putting an end to their suffering.
    
We need to exercise these virtues towards one another (Ephesians 4:32). That is why He commanded us to preach the Good News. This is the time to wipe away the tears, not to shed them. If you are that kind of person who sees flaws everywhere, open your eyes and repent of this sin. The bad habit of spotting the mistakes of others is something that only the defiled and unbelieving do (Titus 1:15). He who loves his enemy obeys the Lord, he blesses those who curse him, he who does good to those who hate him and prays for those who abuse and slander him (Romans 12:9-21). With patience and comfort, we will fulfill the holy commandment.

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares