by Pastor Rich Carlson

This chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans includes four themes that gave me new insight into praising God:

• Other centeredness—looking outside myself, focusing on what is best for someone else and not just on what is best for me (Romans 15:1-2).
• Caring for others—doing things that demonstrate the previous point. Attitude in action. (15:2).
• Building others up—more than just helping others when they are down but actually helping them succeed. What if I helped someone in class and they got a better grade than me, or helped someone at work and they got the promotion? (15:2).
• Accepting others—and not judging them even if they differ from me, remembering that I do not yet meet God’s ideal but He still loves and accepts me (15:7).

I once heard that a good way to validate friendship is to make my friend look better than me. A good way to improve a marriage is to emphasize the positive in my spouse (which in my case is not hard!). A good way to be an employee is to work so that it makes my employer look good.  From Romans 15, we find that a Biblical way to "bring praise to God" (15:7), is by caring about others, encouraging and supporting them, accepting them and helping them realize that they are of highest value in God’s eyes.

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.