Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
– Philippians 4:8
How blessed we are to have older ones who encourage us! We are most blessed if we grow spiritually among a group of Christians who appreciate what is righteous. Sometimes, however, our peers discourage us from expressing the Lord’s inward work as righteous acts. They may appreciate our love to the Lord and faithfulness to the church, but when we are ready to pay the price to follow the Lord, they will ask, “Are you sure?”
As we serve others, we should appreciate the growth that comes from God’s work in them. It is not enough that we open our home to young people and spend time teaching them. We should also watch for their growth in the Lord and appreciate it. If a young brother tells us what he enjoyed during his reading of the Bible, we should appreciate that as something righteous and speak positively about it. We should tell him, “I hope you have more of the Lord’s speaking like this to bless the whole church!”
Excerpted from Philippians: That I May Gain Christ by Titus Chu, p. 271