Are we helping or hurting others to stand firm? Admittedly the focus is usually on us and our desire and our ability to stand firm, but what about others, are we helping or hurting. Although you have been called individually … into the Kingdom of God and have your own personal responsibility to stand firm, we are also called to be part of something larger than our self. We are called to be part of a body of believers and to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help them to stand firm. As we begin to think about that we are immediately struck with what we may have done to actually cause others to stumble or fall.  It may not be apparent in the beginning until we have looked through the spiritual lenses offered to us in Christ Jesus. If we are part of the body of Christ and one stumbles and is hurt then we all suffer. This should give us a new wakeup call to our responsibility as we fast approach the end of days.

This was a topic so important to our Lord Jesus Christ that He gave a dire warning to any who would cause others to stumble into sin and bring harm to themselves. “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourself’” (Luke 17:1-3). How dire was this warning? To be thrown into the sea was a horrific thought to the ancients who still believed that sea monsters roamed the depths of the sea. Clearly it teaches that those who would cause other Christians to sin could live a shorter life than planned. So it is prudent to ask our self the question how can I not cause others to sin. As we approach the negative it’s important to have an open and teachable heart.

We will all admit that it is difficult to live a holy life in an unholy world. Often times we find our self covering our eyes and ears to the profanity and sexually explicit content that invades our airwaves, but God forbid if it comes from another Christian. If a Christian woman dresses provocatively and it causes another believer for whom Christ died to think sexually immoral thoughts which is sin, then clearly the woman has caused her brother to stumble. Or if a Christian stands at the office water cooler and tells an off colored joke with sexual overtones then that too could cause another Christian to stumble into sin. And if they sin then they are not standing firm and may be the cause of others to stumble. This is only two examples on how we as Christians can cause another to stumble and sin against their heavenly Father.

So from a positive stand point how do we help other Christians to stand firm?   We must go out of our way to live a holy life at all times, but especially among the brethren. We can help others to stand by being an example in love and dedication to Christ and His Church. To tear other Christians down with hateful speech because their doctrinal beliefs are slightly different than ours is not an example of love. Should we not rather be building up one another with wholesome talk seasoned with salt? Should we not rather be walking in all manner of holiness to be an example to all the brethren? Should we not rather be going the extra mile in lifting others up by giving of our time and resources in helping them to stand firm in the coming days? Every time we help other Christians to stand firm we are helping the whole body of believers and thus helping our self.  They say that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So let me encourage you to seek out those weak links and help them to stand firm in 2012 and beyond.

Copyright © 2012 Rev. Daniel W. Blair – All content (blog articles) have been published in my new book: “Revelation Truth” available in our bookstore or at a bookstore near you.