If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1 Corinthians 12:26 (NKJV)

 

Our love for Jesus compels us to love one another.

We have been given the privilege of not just sharing a life together in Christ, but also of suffering together for His sake. The Apostle Paul teaches us that we are divinely appointed to support one another in our joys and sufferings as fellow believers.

There are two types of people in the church: those who healthy and those who are hurting. And the healthy always help the hurting. How do we go about it? We read in Luke 5:17-26 about four friends who went to great lengths to get Jesus to heal their crippled friend, and they were not disappointed with the outcome.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). The word "serve" is derived from the Greek douleuō, which means "to take the place of a slave." Now Paul is not asking you to become a slave to someone. Rather, he is asking you to help others with a true servant heart. You serve because of Christ. When you lend a helping hand to others, you perfectly fulfil Christ’s law of love (Galatians 6:2).

Serving others is the authentic overflow of your life in Christ. However, it is not necessarily the easiest or most convenient thing to do. Yet, it is always the right thing to do. When you learn to feel the sorrow of their suffering, you will be able to enjoy the joy of their freedom.