“Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1).
The Church of Jesus Christ is one big family and in the same way that your earthly parents raised you to have affection for your siblings, God also expects you to have godly affection for your brothers and sisters in Christ. He wants you to recognize, honour and accept them.
God places far greater importance on inter-personal relationships among His children than most people realize. This is why the Bible says “Whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone and especially to our Christian brothers” (Galatians 6:10TLB). That means we ought to give preference to our brothers and sisters in Christ and hold them in the highest regard. You must have that brotherly affection towards your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Never speak evil of other believers or try to run them down. If you study in the book of Acts, you’ll see that the early Church was a model of Christian brotherhood. The Bible says “The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common” (Acts 4:32). They looked after one another; there was no in-fighting or animosity, and that’s the way God desires it to be.
Brotherly love is one of the virtues God says to add to your faith in other to live an effective Christian life (2 Peter 1:5-8). So, the way you treat fellow believers is key to your living a fruitful and productive life in Christ. Be known as that man or woman who exhibits brotherly kindness. Esteem others highly. Use kind words to address your fellow brothers and sisters. Refuse to be rude or insulting. Use pleasant words that express love and gratitude all the time. You’re full of love and kindness; let it flow out of you today.
Confession
I’m full of love and godly affection towards my brothers and sisters in Christ. I recognize and appreciate them, for I see Christ in them. My heart overflows with love towards them today, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Psalm 133:1
Philippians 2:2-4
(Taken by permission from Christ Embassy Church , aka Believer’s LoveWorld Ministries , Lagos, Nigeria. www.ChristEmbassy.org )
