Be on the look out

Everyday there are people in our lives who try to to deceive us and try to make us believe things that are not true. I think it's important to remember that there are people out there who try to obstacles in our paths.

Romans 16:17-20 says: I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

What sticks out to me in those verses the most is the part that says, "everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you..." that is such a good reminder. When you are being obedient, it is literally making God rejoice because of what you have done.

With a passage like that, it is easy to associate the people who put obstacles in our path as evil and hopeless. They are not that. We need to build them up and share with them what is good.

Romans 15:1-4 says: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, is that through the endurance tough in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide might have hope.

"Bear with the failings of the weak." That really sticks out to me. Be different. Love everyone. Remember...it is literally written "the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." We are supposed to have a heart like God. There you go. I hope that the Sprit can gave you something to be encouraged with in this message.