Romans 15: A Bad Case of the Me-asles

Read Romans 15:1-13

A Bad Case of the Me-asles

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak
and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his
neighbor for his good, to build him up.
~Romans 15:1-2

Digging Deeper: It’s the worst disease of all. It’s called the me-asles. Yeah, that’s right, me-asles (emphasis on the “me”), not measles. The me-asles have been going around since the beginning of time.  It’s pandemic, it’s virulent, and it’s resistant to all but one drug—dethroning.

You know what I’m talking about … me-asles? “It’s all about me…my needs, my desires, my comfort, my happiness… me…me…me!” The me-asles puts me at the center (a horrible place to be, by the way), God at the periphery (the most subtle but devastating sin of all), and everybody else on the outside (no worse violation of the spirit of Christ).

Me-asles gets particular nasty when it infects churches.  You know there’s an outbreak when you start hearing, “you’re sitting in my seat…that doesn’t feed me…that music isn’t for me…that doesn’t make me comfortable…they’re asking too much of me.”  And, unfortunately, a lot of churches these days really cater to that “me” mindset. If I were you and found myself in a church that doesn’t want to acknowledge or address this spreading outbreak of me-asles, and in fact, actually contributes to it, I’d find a new church in a heartbeat. Get into a fellowship and under anointed leadership that doesn’t shy away from dethroning you and enthroning the One who rightly deserves your worship and service.  Get into a church that demands God first, others second, and you a distant third.

Dethroning can be painful, but there’s nothing like getting your me-asles cleared up! You see, when believers get cured from this nasty infection, the health that comes to the body of Christ is nothing less than spectacular—and even that’s an understatement.  When you get rid of the me-asles, corporate encouragement will flourish and biblical hope will grow. (Romans 15:4) Moreover, the church will experiences unity and God will receive the glory that he is due. (Romans 15:5-6) Suddenly, people will find your church a place where they can experience transforming love and find heart-healing acceptance. (Romans 15:7)  Not only that, but the unbelievers in your community will be irresistibly drawn to Christ by the love you and your fellow Christians have for one another. (Romans 15:9, cf. John 13:35, 15:13) And what about you? Well, you can expect to be filled with nothing less than joy, peace and the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).  Quite preferable to the me-asles, wouldn’t you say?

So here’s the deal: You can settle for persistent case of the me-asles, or you can take a daily dose of dethroning until it clears up.  What’s it going to be?

“Those who do not hate their own selfishness and regard themselves
as more important than the rest of the world are blind
because the truth lies elsewhere.”
~Blaise Pascal

This Week’s Assignment:

Read: Romans 15:1-33

Memorize: Romans 15:1

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings
of the weak and not to please ourselves.”

For Your Consideration: Are you suffering from the me-asles? It’s pretty hard to spot in yourself, so why don’t you ask someone who knows you and is willing to be lovingly truthful with you if you are infected. For certain, ask the Great Physician to examine you. Take the time to responds to these questions—they will help to give you a more accurate assessment of your condition:

Do you tend to think of yourself first, or do you gladly and proactively put the needs and interests of others ahead of your own?

Are you willing to put up with inconvenience and discomfort for the sake of Christ?

What do you need to do to increase your “servant quotient”?

Where might your attitude need adjusting?

How can you become more accountable for growth in this area of servant-heartedness?

Who are you serving in the name of Christ?

Is this motto, “God is first, others are second, and I am third” true of you?

It would certainly be easy to breeze through this examination and ignore the prescription that will cure this disease, but the certain outcome of such avoidance will be to live with a persistent case of the me-asles. So what does a daily dose of dethronement look like for you in a practical sense?