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THE chain holding a ship¶s anchor has to withstand immense strain to keep the vessel from drifting.
This is possible, however, only if the links in the chain are secure and strong. Otherwise the chain will
snap.
Much the same can be said of the Christian congregation. For a congregation to be vigorous and
healthy, the individual members need to be bound together in unity. What is it that binds them? Love,
which is the strongest force for unity. No wonder that Jesus Christ told his disciples: ³I am giving you a
new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.´ Indeed, true Christians
have the kind of love for one another that goes beyond casual friendship and mutual respect. They
develop self-sacrificing love.²John 13:34, 35.


   
Many congregations are made up of people of different ages, races, nationalities, cultures, languages,
and social backgrounds. Each member has his own likes and dislikes, hopes and fears, and usually each
one has a personal burden to carry²perhaps ill health or financial insecurity. This diversity may pose a
challenge to Christian unity. What, then, can help us to widen out in love and remain united despite the
challenge? Genuine appreciation for all in the congregation will help us to deepen our love for one
another.
What, though, does it mean to appreciate someone? According to Ô

  
 
  
  the word ³appreciate´ means to ³be sensible or sensitive to; esteem adequately; recognize as
valuable or excellent; be grateful for.´ If we appreciate our fellow believers, we are sensitive to their
needs, we hold them in high esteem, we recognize their excellence, and we are grateful that they join
with us in worship. As a result, we grow to love them very much. A brief consideration of what the apostle
Paul wrote to first-century Christians in Corinth will help us to see how we can show Christian love to the
fullest extent.
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Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in 55 C.E. and his second letter within a year of the first.
His comments indicate that some in the Corinthian congregation lacked appreciation for their fellow
believers. Paul described the situation in the following words: ³Our mouth has been opened to you,
Corinthians, our heart has widened out. You are not cramped for room within us, but you are cramped for
room in your own tender affections.´ (2 Corinthians 6:11, 12) What did Paul mean when he described
them as being ³cramped for room´?
He meant that they were narrow and ungenerous at heart. One Bible scholar feels that the
Corinthians¶ love for Paul was ³blocked off by rocky straits through unfounded suspicion . . . and injured
pride.´
Notice what counsel Paul offered: ³As a recompense in return²I speak as to children²you, too,
widen out.´ (2 Corinthians 6:13) Paul encouraged the Corinthians to widen out in love for fellow believers.
This would mean being motivated, not by mistrust and pettiness, but by a positive attitude and a generous
heart.


 

  
It is heartwarming to see how true worshippers of God today put forth great effort to widen out in love
for one another. Admittedly, widening out takes effort. It is not simply an intellectual exercise. Widening
out demands that we behave differently from people who do not live according to Bible standards. Such
people often have little appreciation for others. They can be careless, flippant, and sarcastic. Let us,
therefore, never allow ourselves to be influenced by these attitudes. How sad it would be if our love, like
that of the Corinthians, was stunted by feelings of mistrust! This could happen if we are quick to see a
Christian brother¶s faults but slow to acknowledge his strengths. It could also happen if we are cramped
for room in our affections because someone comes from another culture.
 In contrast, a servant of God who widens out in love has genuine appreciation for fellow believers. He
holds them in high esteem, respects their dignity, and is sensitive to their needs. Even when there is
genuine reason for complaint, he is eager to forgive and refuses to bear a grudge. Instead, he gives his
fellow believers the benefit of the doubt. Generosity of heart helps him to show the sort of love that Jesus
had in mind when he foretold: ³By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among
yourselves.´²John 13:35.
  

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Heartfelt love will enable us to reach out beyond our circle of friends and seek the fellowship of those
in the congregation with whom we do not usually have close contact. Who might these people be? Some
of our Christian brothers and sisters are shy or, for one reason or another, have few friends. We may at
first feel that we have little in common with such ones, apart from our shared worship. But is it not true
that some of the closest friendships in the Bible were between people who, to all appearances, had little
in common?
Ruth and Naomi, for instance, belonged to different generations, were of different nationalities and
cultures, and even had different mother tongues. Even so, their friendship went beyond such differences.
Jonathan was raised as a prince, and David as a shepherd. Their age difference was substantial, yet
theirs is one of the closest friendships mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Both of these friendships were a
source of pleasure and of spiritual support for those concerned.²Ruth 1:16; 4:15; 1 Samuel 18:3;
2 Samuel 1:26.
Even today close friendships develop between true Christians who belong to different generations or
whose situations in life are totally dissimilar. Regina, for instance, is a single mother with two teenage
children. She has a busy schedule and little time for socializing. Harald and Ute are a retired married
couple who have no children. On the surface, these two families seem to have little in common. But
Harald and Ute applied the Bible counsel to widen out. They reached out to include Regina and her
children in many activities, spending time with them in the public ministry and enjoying some recreation.
Can we widen out beyond our regular circle of friends? Why not seek closer contact with fellow
believers of another nationality, culture, or age-group?



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A generous heart will move us to be attentive to the needs of others. What sort of needs? Well,
observe the members of the Christian congregation. Young ones need guidance, elderly ones need
encouragement, full-time ministers need commendation and support, and fellow believers who are
downhearted need a listening ear. Everyone has needs. We want to respond to these needs as much as
we reasonably can.
Widening out also means that we will show understanding to those with special needs. Do you know
someone who is chronically ill or who is facing some other trial in life? Widening out in love and cultivating
a generous heart will help you to be understanding and supportive of those in need.
As Bible prophecies for the near future reach fulfillment, strong bonds of unity within the congregation
will be of far greater value than possessions, abilities, or achievements. (1 Peter 4:7, 8) Each of us can
personally contribute toward strengthening the bonds of unity in our own congregation by widening out in
love for our fellow believers. We can be sure that Jehovah will bless us richly for acting in harmony with
the words of his Son, Jesus Christ, who said: ³This is my commandment, that you love one another just
as I have loved you.´²John 15:12.