Be a People-Builder

"In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good." (Hebrews 10:24 TLB)

There's a price tag for being a people-builder: It requires unselfishness.

Why should we do it then? Because the Bible tells us to "outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good" (Hebrews 10:24 TLB).

At some point, the Romans confuse the word cristos with the word crestos. Cristos means Christ; Crestos, in Latin, means kindness. In a roundabout way, that confusion can teach us something: Christians should be the kindest of all people.

I want to give you an objective: to be a people-builder for the rest of your life. Begin by writing down the name of one person you want to help build up, then stop and pray.

Ask God to show you that person's strengths. We always build on our strengths, not on our weaknesses. Write down whatever strengths you've seen in him or her in the past.

Then tell him or her, "I've been thinking about you because I really care about you. I wanted to share with you—from my viewpoint—the strengths I see in your life, because those strengths determine what God wants us to do in our lives."

Imagine the impact you could have if you would commit yourself to being a people-builder, if you determined to bring out the best in everyone within your congregation. That's one of the purposes of the church: to help people to grow and to become what God made them to be.

The above is re-printed from a devotional by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church, author of The Purpose Driven Life series.