I. The Word: Romans 12:9-13

9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

II. Reflection Questions:

1. How would you express sincere love towards someone that you care about (parent, spouse, child, friend, pet, etc.…)?

2. Where, in any of your interpersonal relationships; can you be the initiator in prioritizing someone else’s needs, over your own today?

3. How is your prayer life?

In today’s text, Paul begins to highlight some of the evidences of a true believer. To walk in genuine love, is both an intentional and aggressive practice. As highlighted in this verse, it takes the grace of God, the grace of others, and grace for ourselves, to rightly live this out. Praise God that His grace is sufficient for us to express His unconditional love towards one another. The battle for love happens on the inside, before any outside action is expressed. Hence why the text instructs us to, “despise what is destructive”; and to “hold on to what is good”.

Paul implores us to walk in a love towards one another in a way that is both kind selfless. Even when we are having one of those “days”, we are still accountable to demonstrate mercy and grace. He then gives an interesting mandate, to “outdo one another in showing honor”. Now, for those of us who tend to be a bit competitive, this word may seem like an outlet for our ambitious energy. However, when we try to live this out rightly, we realize that the real competition comes from within, and not amongst our brethren (see 1^st paragraph).

Verses 11 and 12, feed off of one another. Paul tells us to not be dull, or too duty-driven in our walk in love. However, in verse 12 he tells us that while we are to serve the Lord, and rejoice in the hope that we have in Him, he indicates that we will have tribulation, and it will take patience and constant prayer, to properly serve Him; all while still maintaining the disposition of walking in brotherly affection. The tension that these verses bring, can tempt you to warrant a spiritually sluggish mood. Be encouraged! Two quotes come to mind regarding these passages:

1. “Patience is not about how long you can wait, but how well you behave while you’re waiting” – Unknown
2. “Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God” – Sam Storms

Developing a consistent prayer life will serve as an advantageous habit, both to remaining in lock-step with the Lord, and being teachable and joyful during adversity.

Paul reminds us in verse 13, that because of our call as Christians to walk in brotherly love, nothing that we have is really truly ours. We are stewards of all of the resources that God has provided us, and if one of us has a need, it is an opportunity to both serve each other, as well as remind the person in need that God is faithful. If there is not an opportunity to display generosity towards one another by, for example, opening up our homes, then as God leads, generate one. We are an eternal family might as well start (if we have not already) living as though this is true.