Monday, May 08, 2023

⁹ Let us have no imitation Christian love. Let us have a genuine break with evil and a real devotion to good. ¹⁰ Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers, and a willingness to let the other man have the credit. ¹¹ Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work and let us keep the fires of the spirit burning, as we do our work for God. ¹² Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently, steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer. ¹³ Give freely to fellow-Christians in want, never grudging a meal or a bed to those who need them. ¹⁴ And as for those who try to make your life a misery, bless them. Don’t curse, bless. ¹⁵ Share the happiness of those who are happy, the sorrow of those who are sad. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with each other. Don’t become snobbish but take a real interest in ordinary people. Don’t become set in your own opinions. ¹⁷ Don’t pay back a bad turn by a bad turn, to anyone. Don’t say “it doesn’t matter what people think,” but see that your public behavior is above criticism. ¹⁸ As far as your responsibility goes, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Never take vengeance into your own hands, my dear friends: stand back and let God punish if he will. For it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine. I will repay’. ^20-21 … these are God’s words: ‘Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head’. Don’t allow yourself to be overpowered with evil. Take the offensive—overpower evil by good!                                                                                                             Rom 12:9 – 21

My love must be genuine.  It can’t be show; it can’t be anything less than real and tangible.  One of the things Paul says here strikes me hard; he writes: “Don’t become snobbish but take a real interest in ordinary people.”  This is truly how love is expressed to those outside of the family of God.  I must take time for “ordinary people,” not caring who they are, what they have, or what they can do for me in return.  I must listen intently; I must speak gently; I must touch their lives with love, the love that is in me because of Christ Jesus.  I must leave the door open; I must leave my arms extended in welcome; and I must give … give all that I am just as Jesus did.  Oh God, your love is within me; give me grace that it may flow out of me and touch others.