Puff Up or Build Up
When we keep the main thing, the main thing, we stay focused on what matters most.
This is one of the greatest challenges in our lives because we are easily distracted and can drill down on things that don’t matter.
We’ve all done this in arguing with our spouse or a friend. Going back and forth in a disagreement with someone at work and maybe being offended by something at church. These moments tempt us to drift into shallow points and double down on being right versus getting it right.
When things don’t get solved quickly and worse they can fester into something more.
Jesus kept the main thing the main thing through His life. He never wavered and always touched the heart of the matter versus the symptoms of the matter.
For those who received this, their lives were changed, healed, empowered, and redeemed. Those who refused this stayed stuck and had no moment with Jesus.
Today this is a challenge for the church.
Will we stay on the main thing or drift into endless debates and points that ultimately make excuses and miss the hearts of people?
When talking to the Corinthian church, He addressed this very topic and gave insight on what to do. He uses this phrase as a catalyst on how to gauge what we’re doing.
“Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”
I Corinthians 8:1
Notice that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up or edifies. This speaks to two things that are diametrically opposed.
1st – Knowledge here was being used to prop up one’s self, making them superior to someone else. This of course is not the heart of Jesus nor the mission of the church.
Whenever we drift into diatribes of doctrines and arguments seeking to prove ourselves right over other Christians, we are missing the mark. We have not been called to be better than others, but rather through the Holy Spirit. We are called to be better than ourselves and let Jesus change us.
We are not here to make points. We are here to make a difference and when we use knowledge to be superior, we are missing the mark.
Of course, knowledge is good and we need to know what we believe but it is simply a tool to be firm and believe, and to know what we should be doing. It should not be a weapon of division, argument, and superiority.
2nd – Love was to be used to build up or identify others. This speaks of a servant posture in helping others be built up and nurturing them in their faith.
This is the posture of Jesus as He came as a servant leader, making the world different through His life and the things that He did.
This is the main thing of the church, which is to love God and love people. Jesus summed up, obeying all of the word of God through these two things. So, walking in love, living through love, giving by love, worshiping in love, serving in love, and doing faith by love is what makes the difference.
Anything else is an attempted shortcut to do what Jesus has called us to do.
But the truth is, it’s easier to be puffed up personally than it is to build up others. This speaks to our selfish nature and how we tend to wanna be right at all costs no matter what. This is not the way of Jesus and He calls us to something better.
When we do life this way church growth becomes a natural outcome.
The church’s job is not to exclude people who don’t believe but rather do everything they can to reach people to believe and receive Jesus. This mindset of loving others as we love God empowers us to reach people where they are and to keep the main thing the main thing, no matter what.
Right now, more than ever, people are hurting and there’s confusion all over our world. People need to see a living Jesus and He wants to come through you and me every day. He is ready to reach the people around us and our time is now.
So what will you choose, puffed up or build up?
“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10
A life of fruitfulness and meaning comes when we love and build up others. This is our moment and this is a chance of a lifetime.
Let’s do it and see what Jesus can do through us.
God is with you and the best is yet to come,
PD
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