Romans 15:1, 2 
Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (CSB)

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?” (The Message)

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“Strength is for service, not status.”

Has there ever been a more meaningful counter-cultural statement than this? These words cut to the quick in every culture and community. They are a powerful reminder for each of us. They provide daily direction and are fit for regular reflection. 

Strength is for service, not status.

What strengths do you have? Everyone is strong in some area. There are many different kinds of strength. For example, consider the acrostic ASPIRE.

A = Assets: What financial resources do you have? The average American lives better than kings of old. How do you deploy what God has placed in your hands? Do you earn all you can, give all you can, save you can, and make wise spending decisions? 

S = Spiritual: Is your walk with God increasingly deep and abiding? Do you seek to know his will and ways across the path of all your day? 

P = Physical: How do you honor God and serve others with the strength he has given you? How do you take care of yourself by working from a place of rest, eating and drinking the right things in the right measure, and exercising regularly?

I = Intellectual: How are you sharpening your mind daily? How are you assisting others with what you know and learn? How are you helping them develop their own growth plans?

R = Relational: How are you investing in the lives of those closest to you, those you associate with regularly, those you influence more distantly, and those you encounter along the day day by day?

E = Emotional: How well do you master your emotions rather than allowing them to master you? How are you intentionally becoming more emotionally intelligent?

This is a life to aspire to. This is a strong life that honors God by serving others in the strength he provides. 

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I will live an aspirational life.

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