My Life for Yours

“Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build
him up” (Romans 15:2).

I want. I need. I desire. I deserve.

These are much different expressions than he needs or she
needs. We think in terms of another person’s needs if they are negative, as
in, “He needs a spanking,” or “He deserves to go to Hell.” Both of these may be
true, but the text is speaking about what pleases and builds up the other
person, rather than what pleases us.

We see the same in a different way in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not
let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen.”

What we do and what we speak should be only for
the other person’s benefit, not for our own.

This post coordinates with today’s reading in the To
the Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan,
please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.