God designed people to be relational. We were created to have a relationship with God and to have relationships with others. Since God designed and implanted that desire within us, He also created a context (the Church) in which we can establish relationships that will help us become more like Christ. These relationships were designed to be a place of encouragement and accountability. Yesterday we looked at how the Church, as a body, should function together, being unified by Christ and the Holy Spirit, bearing one another in love. What does that look like in a community? It looks like confessing to one another and praying for one another as described in James 5:16. It also looks like loving someone well by encouraging and lovingly correcting them with gentleness and grace. When we do these things, we are, as Paul puts it, “fulfilling the law of Christ.” In other words, we are loving Christ and loving others as ourselves (Mark 12:30–31).

Have you ever been lovingly corrected by someone you trust?

How well do you receive correction? How well do you give correction? Is it done in love?