Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:10

For some, it may take a little imagination or even a lot of imagination to understand how two brothers (or sisters) truly love one another. Even in disputes, they still love each other as only siblings can love. Honor, or placing in high regard or giving great respect to the other person, more than ourselves, leads to highly successful and truly uncommon relationships. This is our call, as Christians in community with each other, as brothers and sisters in Christ, to be truly devoted to one another and to honor one another. Ask God today to place this on your heart.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 14:19

Edification means to instruct or improve morally and/or spiritually. Here we are talking about building each other up. More simply stated, we are to encourage each other. So often and so easily we can criticize or verbally judge another person. The alternative is to willingly teach instead of to preach. It is possible to build others up, without first tearing them apart. This is our responsibility as brothers and sisters in Christ and as the community of faith.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Romans 15:7

We were accepted as a person, no questions asked by Jesus Christ. When we meet other people, how often do we accept them as a child of God, without giving them our own version of the first degree. Are they guilty until proved innocent? Or are they innocent until proved guilty. When we naturally accept another person out of the gate, this is pleasing to God and give praise to Him because we are acting as He intended for us to act.

I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
Romans 15:14

Competence to instruct one another is our invitation and encouragement to do so. We are each in our own place spiritually speaking and we each have our own next steps in our journey of spiritual maturity. In authentic Christian community, we are not only encouraged, but we are instructed to instruct one another. As brothers and sisters in Christ, each of us should be open to receiving and sharing our personal knowledge and experiences as revealed to us through the Holy Spirit that we may grow even more in our faith and reflect the light of that faith to the world and to one another.

...But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
I Corinthians 12: 24b-26

This is in many ways, the heart and soul of authentic Christian community. Individually we are all less when we are apart than when we are together. As a community, the body, all are glorified and honored by God and each other, both the lesser and the greater among us. We are meant to be together that each of us have great and equal concern for each other. We all share with each other, each others suffering as well as each others rejoices and celebrations. This is the true nature of community, of family and of siblings through Christ Jesus.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:13

Our Father has given us the freedom of choice. The choices we all make are reflections of our commitment to Him. Our choices are also a reflection of the value we place and the importance we place on our Christian faith. Clearly, as brothers and sisters in faith, we are to serve God by serving one another. This gives God great joy in His family. As a Christian business community, when we serve each other through the joy of Jesus Christ, we all will benefit through the giving and the receiving. It's like a big snow ball rolling down a hill. Not only does it gain speed and momentum, but it also gains strength and unity and forcefulness for anyone on the receiving end. Let us all come together, to have that impact on each other as well as on those who are watching.

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

Jesus had compassion and understanding for everyone. He was and still is able to lift our burdens and lighten our daily yolks. He does this through His current disciples and ambassadors. We are those disciples and ambassadors to everyone, and especially those in the family of faith. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. We all have burdens, spoken and unspoken. Sometimes all we need is a little word of encouragement to rekindle our hope and faith for the moment. Make a phone call today, and lighten another's burden.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Kindness and compassion is a fruit of the Spirit and is a way of life. Each of us in our own ways have a way of turning kindness and compassion on and off as a result of our current state of mind. When we turn if off, we demonstrate to others our darker side and loose perspective on many situations and loose opportunities to reflect the light of Jesus Christ. Pray each day, that in your business affairs, where you spend over 1/3 of your time and energy, that through Jesus Christ, that kindness and compassion is always turned on.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:21

Submission does not mean giving in. Submission in business is perspective. We are all equal in the sight of God. As we communicate and negotiate and try to sell, submission in those moments may simply mean seeing the other persons point of view and responding in a Christ-like way to those individual needs.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,
Colossians 3:16a

In many ways, Jesus was a business man with a sales staff to train. It took Him three years to train His staff of disciples, His little community, so that His Word would dwell in them richly. Each disciple grew spiritually at his own pace just as each of us grows at our own pace. During these three years, the disciples also taught and advised and warned each other regarding the teachings of Jesus Christ and the importance of doing what was taught. We too, as disciples are to do the same for one another. To do this, the words of Jesus Christ should dwell in us and we should daily seek the wisdom offered to us through the Holy Spirit.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
I Thessalonians 5:11

"One Another" is a key phrase when considering authentic Christian community. It is easy to say to encourage and build each other up. The difficulty here is, is that we each need to know when another actually needs encouraging and building up. Christian community is about releasing our fears of one another enough to share when we really need encouraging. The world view is that we keep everything bottled up inside. When we do this, we are depriving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ the opportunity to take on the role of Jesus Christ and let their light shine on us and actually do what we are instructed to do. That is to encourage one another and build each other up.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24

Just as Jesus Christ was a servant and came to serve, we too are servants to one another. Living the Christian life is not easy, we all fall short of God's hopes and desires as well as our own. But, when we are living and working in real authentic community with each other. we can in many ways spur one another on. If you will allow me a little interpretation we can give each other from time to time, a swift kick...

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 25

As Christians in business, we are all to meet with one another. If you are not in the habit of doing so, now is the time to start. We are to encourage one another to come together and work together doing business God's way. In this case the day approaching is morning and afternoon and evening. The day approaching may mean the start of a new day when we are setting the pace for the day. The day approaching may also mean when the day is coming to an end and the day has worn us down and we need from each other the encouragement to continue the good work through Jesus Christ.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
I Peter 4:9

Hospitality is simply another word for serving. We are here to serve God and to serve one another. Period! When we serve against our will, we are letting the world take over our emotions rather than letting God work through us. If we find ourselves resenting the service to another, always remember that we are the earthly hands of God.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
I Peter 5b

Our Lord Jesus Christ was the model of humility. He considered others more important than himself. He was (and is) a servant to others. Humility is a state of mind, it is a way of being and a way of living. Humility is a change in perspective. It's not about me, It's all about God and it's all about others.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
I John 1:7

True fellowship is something we all seek and desire. We also seek common ground with each other. That common ground is often hard to find. True fellowship is a relationship. The question is what kind of fellowship do you want or is important to you? The best fellowship and relationships are built through Jesus Christ. To accomplish the best relationships possible, John tells us to walk in the light just as Jesus walked in the light. Then we will know one another by our love.



Thank you for taking the time to go through the above Scriptures.  These are only part of our operating foundations.  If you have a true heart for authentic Christian community