Pleasing Others

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

Romans 15:2

Paul writes in this chapter to teach the Roman Christians to be focused on others. Self in the Christian life must decrease and the Lord Jesus must increase (John 3:30). Care and concern for others must be evident in our lives to reflect the rule of Christ in our life. A genuine Christian will learn to please and put others first and thereby will do things that will comfort and please other brethren. Notice four truths from this verse.

This pleasing others involves every Christian. Paul was doubtlessly speaking to Christians. The entire epistle was aimed at the Christians in Rome. All believers are to be involved in this important task of pleasing others, his neighbour.

This neighbour is a brother or a sister in Christ. To please his neighbour in Paul’s mind refers to the pleasing of brethren in the local assembly, in the local body of Christ, the ones that God has graciously joined together for His sake, by His blood and for His glory. Each believer ought to consider a Christian brother or sister so near in our relationship with each other in Christ (as we are bound by the blood of Christ) that the love of Christ will instantly well up in his soul when he sees them in need, or whenever there is a trial in their lives. He will respond because it is his loving duty before God to do so.

We are to please our neighbour for his good. The goal in Christian exhortation is always for the profit, good, benefit and advantage of the other believer. We are not to aim to indulge our brother (i.e. to give them what they want) but to please him for his good. Are there some areas that we see lacking in our brethren that we might invest in so that they may benefit from? Is there some profit that we may give to our sister in Christ for her good? Let us do so, for this is the will of God.

We are to please our neighbour to build him up, to his edification. To edify is to build up and to be involved in the growth of the individual Christian. The pleasing of our neighbours is not for the purpose of indulging in the lusts of their flesh but to cater to the goal of their spiritual growth in Christ. If there is a word to be spoken, a deed done, a prayer said, a gift given or a tear shed that may grow our brother or sister, it is to be done to please our neighbour for his growth and edification.

Believer in the Lord, are you living to please other brethren so that you can be involved in their lives for their good and their edification? Will the brother or sister be a better Christian because of you? May it be so, Lord Jesus.

Written by: Pastor Johnny Tan
Edited by: Timothy Lee
Image Credit: Zuhair Ahmad, Flickr