20 Jul Deposits and Withdrawals
Romans 15:16 – sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:18-19 – …what Christ has accomplished through…word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God…
When you or I are in relationship with others, I like to say that, just like a bank account, criticisms or corrections are withdrawals from the relational account, but encouragement is a series of deposits.
This is especially true of parenting when you’re raising a child. Eventually, if you only criticize them, you’re making a lot more withdrawals than deposits and you’ll bankrupt the relationship. Or if you’re married. If you wonder how this is going, ask your spouse.
In relationships, when we encourage, when we point out things we appreciate, are grateful for, ways we see God working, those are deposits. When we make corrections and criticisms, those are withdrawals. In this chapter, Paul makes a lot of deposits and then, in the next chapter, he’ll make a few withdrawals.
What I love about this passage is that Paul starts with the encouragement, he starts with the progress that’s already been made in the lives of the people he’s writing to. We could take a lesson from this in our own lives and relationships.
Have you taken more withdrawals than given deposits in your close relationships? How can you work towards giving deposits before needing to make a “withdrawal”?
To find the free Romans 12-16 digital study guide for individuals and small groups, hear Pastor Mark’s entire sermon series on Romans, or find a free mountain of Bible teaching visit legacy.realfaith.com or download the Real Faith app.
