Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Conversations that bother me usually begin with; “I cannot…”, “I’m not…”, “I don’t…”. It is frustrating for me to see brothers and sisters in the Lord claiming the negative. If you think you cannot then you cannot. If you think you are not, then you are not. If you don’t, then you don’t.

At the heart of the problem is unbelief. We should all pray that simplest of prayers, “Lord help my unbelief.” Negative self-image is impossible to overcome alone. We need help. Young people are convinced at an early age by negative reinforcement. They can be defamed with words like stupid, lazy, resentful, or just told they are bad.

Words don’t always say everything. Children watch how their parents behave and often grow up thinking this is how to act. Abuses come in many different forms. The lack of warmth and affection is one of the worst. It is not as uncommon as you might think.

For some of us that dependency of behavior is not discovered until we have children of our own. By then we have already started to pass down behavioral traits instinctively. Undoing the damage is not always as easy as realizing what is wrong.

Christ promised us abundance, abounding is passing on those behavioral traits. It is no longer who we are in Christ that matters, it is who Christ is in us. His overcoming the world has to begin with overcoming our natural and learned negative traits.

John 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

This has to begin with believing that all of Christ has been received in us. We did not receive Him in part but all of Him. Since He is fully God, what part of Him is unable to affect those changes?

Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

John 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Philemon 6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

There is one thing which is elementary to these verses. In this I mean one thing has all these verses in common. I suspect you already know what that one word. It is fellowship.

Hebrews 10:22-25 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Do you see that day approaching? Even if you do not, the benefits of fellowship, its design, intent and effectual workings need attention. It is you who believe that are called to fellowship and everything that entails.

Fellowship is where love and grace embrace.