You should add brotherly affection or kindness to your faith. And make sure you find a way to do good to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Add affection for the saints: love them, help them, and bless them. Why is this important?

Galatians 6:10 reads: "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." This is saying, "Do good to everybody, but take special care to help all those who are saved."

Your Spiritual Bloodline
God cares about all people. But His Word says those who are saved should be more of a family to you than those who happen to share your bloodline and the same last name. God is saying, "Especially do good to other Christians."

When God looks at "the family," He is not looking at the bloodline based on the way we look at it. He sees "the family" as those who are in Christ.

If we are supposed to operate by faith and in the Word of God, how could one Christian take advantage of another? How could one overcharge another? How could one commit to do a job for another and then not finish that work?

How could some Christians do wrong to their brothers and sisters in Christ? Our brothers and sisters in Christ are our real family.

Thank God for relatives. Most of my relatives are born again (and I praise God for that!), but I am believing God for the rest of them. Maybe you too have some relatives that are not saved. Did you know God expects us to do better to fellow Christians than to our unsaved relatives?

From God's perspective, if we do wrong to another Christian, we are doing wrong to Him! He takes a personal affront whenever we do wrong to another born-again believer. He said, "Let us do good, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

Show Love And Consideration
So be sure you are doing good to your brothers and sisters in the Lord. When you say to another believer, "I love you in Jesus' name," you should not just say it; you should do it by showing love to that believer.

We are to be the most considerate toward other believers. Let's say a handicapped person or senior citizen comes in late to a church service. That person should not have to hunt for a place to sit. So what if he or she should have been there earlier? It is still our responsibility to do good to that person. An outside seat on a row toward the front of the sanctuary should be offered quickly. We should want to do good to the household of faith.

Suppose so many people are attending a service that all the seats are taken and some are standing, as happens sometimes in our church. Men ought to value their born-again sisters enough to offer them their seats. So what if a lady comes in late when she should have been on time? Some gentleman should get up immediately and offer his seat!

It's About Honor
I believe, too, that it is good for boys, while they are still boys, to learn how to act toward ladies. Then they will already know it when they are grown. My son knows to open doors for the ladies. Not because the ladies could not do it themselves. I know they are liberated. I know they are strong. This has nothing to do with them being liberated or strong; it has to do with the fact that they are our sisters in the Lord and we want to honor them!

I remember the first time I took my wife out on a date. When I drove her home and stopped in front of her house, she immediately opened the car door to get out. I said, "Don't you open that door!" Then I got out, walked around to her side and opened it for her. Deborah looked at me in shock. She had never in her life seen a man act like that. She couldn't believe I was for real. But she liked what she saw!

So God's Word is saying, "Add brotherly kindness to your faith, especially being sure that you take care of those in the household of faith."

Source: Success Strategies From Heaven by Keith Butler.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers