"Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up" (Romans 15:1-2). Are you reasonably strong and healthy? If so, what do you think about those who aren't? Or do you not even bother to think about them? St. Paul tells us that we "ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."
How can we do that? How can we build up our infirm or disabled or elderly neighbor? We shouldn't just live to "please ourselves" – we can run errands for home-bound persons who have no relatives nearby to care for them. We can take them grocery shopping, to doctor's appointments, to church, and especially to pleasant places like the park, the botanical gardens or the zoo in the summer: show them that they are important and loved! Again, the Apostle Paul wrote –
"The eye can't say to the hand, 'I have no need for you,' or again the head to the feet, 'I have no need for you.' No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety; whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (1 Corinthians 12:21-27).
We really do need each other! Not only do dependent little children need their parents' love; but also, disabled adults and lonely elderly people need love... and we who are reasonably strong and healthy also need them. Why? To learn how to love with a pure heart, not thinking of material gain or our own pleasure. As St. Paul wrote, "...not to please ourselves." You probably have heard the term "4G" meaning "fourth generation internet." The internet started out in the 1990s as a means for the free exchange of ideas, but has degenerated today into what I call the 4G's - "Greed, Gluttony, Gossip & Grumbling." All four of these are focused on self rather than others: satisfying my desires for material things (online shopping!), indulging my desires for food and other bodily pleasures, watching videos or reading the latest rumors about politicians and celebrities, and grumbling about how bad things are today because they aren't like they used to be.
What can we do about it? Once more, the Apostle Paul wrote - "Therefore, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2). Lose weight! Are you focused on food? "Lay aside every weight!" Focus on Jesus: He will help you overcome that overweight! St. Paul wasn't just speaking in metaphors, he was telling us how our physical condition affects our spiritual health. In verses 12-13 he wrote - "Therefore, lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. That means exercising to bring healing: see this Exercise Plan for Seniors!
In Galatians 5:16-26, the Apostle Paul wrote about how to "walk" (or "live" - another analogy of our physical life) in the Spirit vs. fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. The disciplined spiritual life of discipleship is a struggle, and sometimes we fail. So in the next chapter (6:1-2), St. Paul wrote - "Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." It's all about restoration, not punishment! "Bear one another's burdens!" "We who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak!"
You might have seen the statistics on another ARC web-page or email that as we grow older, we each have a 70% probability of disability lasting about 3 years before we die. I checked with a retired mathematician at our health club about how to apply that probability to a married couple: you take the remaining 30% and multiply it by 70% = 21%, then add it to the 70% for the first spouse: it means a 91% probability that one or the other of a married couple will have such a disability.
And if they both live into their mid-80s, the probability is almost 100% that one spouse will be taking care of the other spouse with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or dementia. So we need to be proactive, have foresight, and take steps to deal with aging issues before we are too mentally feeble or physically weak to do anything about it. Waiting until we're almost dead is too late.
Of course, as the above Scripture quotation says, we should also have the same care for other members of the Body of Christ, showing special honor and respect for the weaker members. I'm the eye saying to you, the hand, that we need to take action now! It's our Christian responsibility, it's "not about passing the buck to the government when it comes to relieving the plight of the poor."
So enroll in our free courses to see how YOU can do diakonia-ministry. And Join "The ARC" Chat/Video Forum to Build the ARC!
Yours sincerely,
"Dr. Bob"
Robert D. Hosken, M.Min., M.Th.S., D.Min.
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