“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:9-21 ESV
I don’t usually type out long passages, but I was majorly digging the truth here, and didn’t feel like I could leave anything out. I will admit that I have heard all of this before, but I was especially familiar with the “heaping coals” part. I knew that one because we toss it around in Christian circles all the time. What if our kindness was driven by genuine caring for others and not a misguided attempt at making them feel guilty? What if we worked to outdo one another in the way we honor each other rather than competing to be seen? What if we spent as much time and energy meeting needs and showing love as we do holding grudges and getting back at each other?
The Bible defines ‘genuine’ as “truly what something is said to be; authentic; sincere.”
What if our love was genuine? What would the world be like then?
May this sweet Sunday find you loving well.
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