How-To

Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:9-21

This is one of my favorite passages of the whole Bible.  This is a ‘how-to’ live.  Each phrase of each sentence has significant implications on ‘how-to’ live.  I would do well to read this at the beginning of each day.  The essence of this guide to living is “love must be sincere.”  How we are devoted to one another, how we honor one another, how we share to others in need, how we bless our enemy, how we associate with people of low position … all depends upon if we are loving others sincerely out of a great love within our heart.

There are many challenges in this ‘how-to’ live guide, but one of the biggest for me is the “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor.”  I’m sure everyone who knows me can acknowledge that my laid back almost asleep demeanor is far from this picture.  It is important for me to work on the priority, permanence, and prominence of God’s Law for Living daily in my life and to be excited about Jesus as the answer to not only my life, but everyone’s life.  He is real and He can change lives, I do not doubt this, regardless of how hard the world tries to beat it out of me.

It ends with a single statement regarding good and evil.  “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  This reflection of the verses above it is encouraging us not to let the world’s ways of dealing with others alter how we are to deal with others.  Do good without excuse.  Sure someone did you wrong, tomorrow it will be a different person.  May I so live that I would forgive everyone when I meet them for how they are going to hurt me.  I must work to be an extension of God’s grace, giving others what they don’t deserve, and mercy, not giving them what they do deserve.  This good will overcome evil, as it already has conquered eternal separation from God, the source of evil.