One Another #7

Up to this point, our exploration of the "one another" passages has been fairly general. Everyone knows we are supposed to love each other, pray for, and serve each other. No one purposefully tries to hurt a brother or sister in Christ. But our relationship to one another is something God wants us to grow in. That means we have to move beyond agreeing with the Bible to obeying it.

For different members of the class, obeying the directives of the one-another passages will mean different things. Summer will drastically alter the schedule of college students in our class. If you are a student, you should consider how the plan for your summer will affect your brothers and sisters in Christ. Maybe instead of planning all the experiences you want to have, books you want to read, or activities you want to do, you should plan for people you want to invest in - like your parents, siblings, or friends. And what about those people whose name you know, but you do not know much more? Maybe you can use some of your summer to find out why they are here and what they are like.

For some people in our class, summer will not make one bit of difference. But just because our schedule does not change does not mean that we are exempt from growing in relationships. It just means that we have to be more creative. What about taking a half hour some evening to think about what you can do to increase your connection to other church members. Get a notebook and think for fifteen minutes about who your friends are and how you could improve your relationship. Then, take fifteen minutes to think of people who are not your friends and what you can do about it. Write down at least one goal for each category.

In summary, the "one another" passages are not just something to add to the summer to-do list. They give us an orientation by which to evaluate our to-do list. If Christ-likeness is our chief summer goal, we should keep John 12:35 in mind, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."



Rachel Potter