Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. – Romans 15:2 (HCSB)
Paul makes a pretty straightforward argument here. Those of us who are strong and who have been given gifts (stability, faith, resources, etc.), aren’t supposed to use those things just for ourselves. We’re supposed to use them for the people around us, especially those who are weaker or struggling. He points to Jesus as the example. Jesus didn’t come to please himself but poured everything he had out for people who had nothing to offer him in return. That’s our model.
Then Paul does something interesting. He points his readers back to the Old Testament and reminds them that those scriptures weren’t written just as a history of God and his people. They were written to teach, to build endurance, and to encourage. God knew his people would need fuel for the long haul. The Word isn’t just information, it’s sustenance for people who are in the middle of doing hard things for a long time.
Being completely transparent, this passage hit me differently than some others. I spend a lot of my time and energy focused on helping the people around me. That feels like the right thing but at times it’s exhausting, and I wonder if my own needs and desires are just going to keep sitting on the back burner indefinitely. It can get discouraging.
Sometimes the Word of God convicts. Sometimes it redirects. But sometimes it confirms that you’re on the right track and gives you what you need to keep going. That’s what this passage did for me today. Paul’s prayer at the end of this section felt very personal, like it was written for someone who needed to hear that God sees what they’re doing and has good things ahead for them.
Let the scriptures do what Paul says they do, build endurance and encouragement for the road ahead. God is not unaware of what it all costs, and he is not going to leave us empty-handed. That doesn’t mean that he’ll make us rich, but it does mean that we are building the type of character that God wants in his people, and he’ll use that for his glory.