“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” – Romans 15:1
The Gospel tells us that the eternal and infinitely powerful Son of God stepped into our world to rescue us from our sins because we couldn’t rescue ourselves. Jesus was perfect in sinlessness, in holiness, in righteousness, in goodness, and in power. He was perfectly strong in every way that matters. And He sacrificed Himself on a cross for us, who are spiritually and morally weak, sinful, unholy, and unrighteous. Jesus did this as an act of grace and for the glory of God the Father. The cross wasn’t to please Himself. Jesus went to the cross out of His gracious love for the weak.
Because Jesus did that for us, we’re called to show the same Christ-like grace and patience toward those who are spiritually, physically, or emotionally weaker. Whatever it exactly means to be “stronger” and “weaker”, it is essential for Christians to use whatever strength they have in love and patience toward those who are weaker. That doesn’t mean accepting, ignoring, or tolerating sin but it does mean bearing with people struggling to make the changes expected for those made new in Jesus Christ.
Whatever strength you may have (in knowledge, wisdom, holiness, spirituality, education, experience, etc.) shouldn’t be a source of pride or power over others. Your strength shouldn’t be the basis for condemning and mistreating fellow believers. It’s a gift to be used for patiently, lovingly building up those who are not yet strong in Jesus Christ. If you’re blessed with strength, give thanks for that strength and use it like Jesus to bless those who don’t yet have that same strength. #FollowJesus