Brother's Keeper
Am
I my brother's keeper?
Genesis 4:9
Our Heavenly
Father is One. Thus we are all brothers in Christ. We have a choice
to select our friends. However concerning brothers, there is no
alternatives but to accept and love one another in the family of
God.
There are
basically three types of brothers:
- Friendly
brothers
- Friendless
brothers
- Unfriendly
brothers
Friendly
brothers are those who are like a warm fireplace in a cold winter
night that people would love to gather around. Friendless brothers
are those who are like a closed castle inaccessible by anyone.
Unfriendly brothers are those who have porcupine spikes that will
poke and hurt anyone who dare to go near.
No man is an
island. The sad truth is that there are more loners in our midst now
than ever before. The new technological communication equipment and
gadgets have not improved the level of friendliness and closeness.
Bottom lines, deadlines, information, data and work flood our
telecommunication lines and networks. People are drifting away from
each other. The only link is work-related.
Even
Christians struggle in relating to other Christians. Many would like
to have some friends. Nevertheless they remain relatively friendless
after some failed efforts.
Many do not have
anyone:
- To talk to,
heart to heart
- To stand by
them in times of failures
- To share their joy
or sorrow
- To watch
over them
- To give
some advice or counsel
- To face
life struggles together
- To be their
confidante
Being a
brother’s keeper is never an easy job. Human beings are sometimes
more fragile than glass. Some are burning with anger; some have no
integrity; some are not truthful; some are not lovable and
approachable; some are cold as ice. Despite all these shortcomings,
every man needs a brother’s keeper.
| The Bible exhorts us to: |
Verse |
| Love one another. |
John 13:34-35 |
| Show respect to one another. |
Romans 12:10 |
| Live in harmony with one another. |
Romans 12:16 |
| Don’t judge one another. |
Romans 14:13 |
| Strengthen one another. |
Romans 14:19 |
| Accept one another. |
Romans 15:7 |
| Have the same concern for one another. |
1 Cor. 12:25 |
| Serve one another. |
Galatians 5:13 |
| Don’t irritate one another. |
Galatians 5:26 |
| Carry one another’s burdens. |
Galatians 6:2 |
| Be compassionate for one another. |
Ephesians 4:32 |
| Forgive one another. |
Ephesians 4:32 |
| Submit to one another. |
Ephesians 5:21 |
| Esteem one another. |
Philippians 2:3 |
| Teach and admonish one another. |
Colossians 3:16 |
| Encourage one another. |
1 Thes 5:11 |
| Be kind to one another. |
1 Thes 5:15 |
| Don’t slander one another. |
James 4:11 |
| Confess your sins to one another. |
James 5:16 |
| Pray for one another. |
James 5:16 |
| Be hospitable to one another. |
1 Peter 4:9 |
I believe God is raising
the standard of brotherhood today. A standard that will turn the
other cheek, give the cloak and walk the second mile (Matthew
5:39-41). As the times get harder, we need to love one another even
more.
Behind our eyes, we are
all the same. Made of flesh and blood, needing the fellowship and
friendship of another human being.