One Another

One another

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

At church a couple of weeks ago we were talking about our animals and how much better they make our lives. We were talking about the difference between dogs and cats, including the joke that dogs have owners and cats have staff. Our friend said that he had a cat that had crawled up on the kitchen table and gone to sleep. The cat was sprawled out and looking very contented. The cat knew the table was off limits and when our friend walked by the table he swatted the cat. It hit the wall and slid down, almost cartoon-like. Annoyed at being awakened this way, the cat glared at our friend. Sizing him up, he decided that this was a bigger adversary than he wanted to tackle. He sauntered down the hall with his tail twitching until he found the chihuahua, who was smaller than he was. The dog was sleeping and the cat clawed  him. Poor dog never knew what hit him.

We tend to react the same way when life strikes out at us. Even when we know that danger or irritation comes from one direction we lash out in a different direction. For example my family and i had some people staying with us and it was very difficult.The stress of too many people in a small environment meant that tempers ran high. Unfortunately when we were irritated with our "company", we didn't want to offend him and instead took our frustrations our on each other. Working at a job where the supervisor is difficult can cause us to snipe at our co-workers. Worse than that, pain that is caused by dealing with life or by attacks from the enemy we can turn on each other.

 The most important thing we need to remember is that we learn in Ephesians 6 that  our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."Ephesians 6 12. Let's not be like the kitty. God has given us instructions on how to treat one another. Here are some of them.

Love on another as I have loved you. John 13:3

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, and honor one anther above yourselves. Romans 12:6

Accept one another just as Christ accepted you. Romans 15:7

Be completely humble and gentle; Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Encourage one another and build one another up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

These guidelines will help us to treat each other right. One thing that will help even more is this verse that I will leave you with. If we are secure in the knowledge of God's Presence in our lives we can be less easily swayed by the attacks in our lives.

Psalms 139 

You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.