“It is better to limp in the way, than to run with swiftness out of it” -John Calvin
If you were asked, how would you be able to honestly answer the question: How do you face adversity? Or here’s another good question: How do you help when someone around you is facing adversity?
The idea of “limping in the way” is not something that we often desire to do, but sometimes it’s a lot better than the alternative. Sometimes limping is the only action in which we are able to take in order to advance toward our objective.
Let’s think about this a little further. Would you rather limp your way to the finish line, or would you give up? How about helping someone who is limping make it to the finish line?
I know that these are questions that you’d rather not think about. On the other hand, maybe you thrive in circumstances like these. I don’t know you or your situation, but I do know that facing something alone can be horrible.
My thought is, whether limping or running, enduring with one another to the end is the main objective. No one should have to face the adversities of life on their own, especially if they are a child of God. Therefore, we must endure with one another!
Exposing the Action to Endure With One Another
What does it mean to endure with one another?
Enduring with one another goes beyond merely “putting up” with someone, it actually draws deep into the meaning that Scripture gives for living in harmony with each other. It means that you, even if you’re not someone’s BFF, are to come along side of your brother or sister and help bear their burden.
The idea of enduring with one another comes from the action of bearing one another’s burdens. To bear one another’s burdens means to withstand something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else. That’s what Christians are called to do!
Enduring with one another is not easy. People have a tendency to be ugly, especially when they are facing hard times in their life. We cannot use the excuse that someone is being mean, that’s why I can’t help them. Bologna! You can help them, if you rely on the truths of Scripture.
What does the Bible say about enduring with one another?
The Bible sometimes says things that we don’t like, or that we make harder than they need to be; enduring with one another is one of those things. The biblical precedence for enduring with one another can be seen throughout Scripture, but the New Testament passages that really communicate the concept of enduring with one another will be our focus.
The first and probably most common text concerning the topic is Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s here where the apostle Paul instructs the church to endure with each other in order to satisfy God’s law. Think about, if you are enduring with one another out of obedience to God, you are fulfilling the greatest commandments: “Love God, love people” (Mark 12:30-31).
The next passage is Ephesians 4:2 where Paul tells the church, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” that they are to operate in their calling. Enduring with one another is part of your calling as a believer in Jesus Christ. You don’t get to pick and choose what commands you want to follow; we are to follow all of the commands of Christ. Even if it means that we must change our attitudes and lifestyles to do so.
The final passage is the toughest for me, Colossians 3:13: “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Paul instructs the church that they are supposed to endure with one another to the extent of forgiving one another as the Lord has forgiven them. I don’t know about you, but the forgiveness in which I have received is HUGE! That’s exactly the scale in which we as born-again, forgiven and free children of God are supposed to live and treat one another.
I know all of this sounds like a big undertaking…well, it is! That’s why it is a part of the Allēlōn Principle. Just in case you need a refresher: The Allēlōn Principle is the Spirit empowered actions between believers that develop and define the intended culture of the community of Christ’s disciples.
Why is enduring with one another important for impacting the culture of your church?
Enduring with one another can be pivotal for impacting the culture of your church. If pursued with the proper heart and actions, it can be the doorway into a culture that produces proactive counseling to manifest.
The environment that enduring with one another produces welcomes non-believers to explore a lifestyle that is different than the world they are in. The church is supposed to be set apart from the world in order to display the love and truth of Jesus, and enduring allows that message be displayed.
Here’s the bottom line: The culture of the local church will take on the identity of those who make up the body. If the body displays the love and care for one another through enduring with one another, and is genuine about it, there’s no doubt that the outsiders around will see the difference within.
Conclusion
Running, limping or crawling alongside one another is the calling that God has placed on your life. As a believer in Christ, and one who wants to help others make it through the difficult times of life, you must be willing to endure with one another through the thick and the thin. Much like limping to the end of a race, enduring with one another is not always the preferred mode of advancement; but it is what is necessary.
Allelon Principle 