Building Yourself and Others
A. Building Up Your Faith (James 1:2-5)
Saving faith happens when a person believes in the gospel and places his faith in
Christ as Lord and Savior. But this is just the beginning. True faith will only grow from
here, and it is the responsibility of the believer to be more mature in the faith.
Abraham’s faith was tested, and it proved that his faith was true.
a) Welcome trials and persecutions in your Christian life
It is easy to say “I have faith” and “I trust God” but the existence of this faith
can only be proven by trials in one’s life. A Christian’s calling is not just to believe
Jesus, but also to suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29) Trials do not mean hardships
caused by sin, but attacks coming from the flesh, Satan, and the world because
we strive to live righteously. As a follower of Christ, we must not avoid these
trials and persecutions, but welcome them because it means we are following
the steps of Christ (1 Peter 2:21).
b) Work with the trials to strengthen your faith
Once you welcome the trials that come your way, it will be easier for you to
see how they make your faith stronger, and bring glory to God (1 Peter 1:7).
Sometimes, financial problems, sicknesses, persecutions from other people, and
“delayed” answers from God make us doubt His power and care for us. But the
word of God says persecutions and tribulations help our faith “grow
exceedingly” (2 Thess. 1:3-4). To strengthen our faith is to go beyond these trials
and always claim God’s promises for us (Heb. 10:23).
c) Wisdom from God helps overcome these trials
Many Christians fail in overcoming trials because we do not ask help from
God. Paul says every trial comes with an escape plan, which we can only get
from God (1 Cor. 10:13). That is why we should remain humble and admit that
we cannot do it on our own. Asking wisdom is one way for us to show this
humility (James 2:5).
“Faith that is not tested cannot be trusted”
B. Building Up Your Family and Relationships (Mark 3:25, Rom. 12:10)
Growing in the faith is good, but we should also take care of our relationships.
Whether these people are saved or unsaved, they should be able to see the
difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. We can steward these
relationships by following God’s word.
a. Maintain unity at home
Family issues and problems often affect our way of thinking and living, even
as believers. Nevertheless, God requires His followers to show a good testimony
at home, and everywhere else. There are roles for husbands and wives (Eph.
5:22-33), for children (Eph. 6:1-3), and for fathers (Eph. 6:4) which need to be
met in order to build a loving and happy home.
b. Minister to one another
Service should not only be made towards God, but others as well. We were
made free from sin so that we can serve one another in love (Gal. 5:13). God
gave us various gifts not for our own benefit, but for others (1 Pet. 4:10). Even
our Savior showed us a great example of humility and service, when he came on
earth to serve others (Mark. 10:45).
c. Minimize conflict with others
According to the Scriptures, there’s one thing that is the root of all conflict
among men - pride (Prov. 13:10). When we put ourselves above others, we start
to feel that we deserve to get something, and this is where conflict begins. Paul
said to put others above yourself (Phil. 2:3), meaning their welfare and their
needs should be the priority, not yours. Once we succeed in doing this, we will
notice that conflict can easily be prevented.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
- Psalm 133:1
