Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love,
Give preference to one another in honor.
Romans 12:9-10
As I read those verses yesterday morning, the first sentence stood out to me like it never had before.
Perhaps before I had simply of skimmed over that first part and concentrated more on the rich verses that follow. But not this time.
I suddenly realized that showing love to others is not enough. Let love be without hypocrisy? Could it mean that we must actually love, instead of merely acting like we do? I started thinking of people who had offended me. Even those to whom I am kind, but really deep in my heart I hold a grudge towards. I had to be very honest with myself, and even though it was hard to face up to the truth of myself (it always is), I felt like the Holy Spirit was stirring my heart to love people in the way He intends. Genuinely. Compassionately. Without hypocrisy.
It seems to me that while it pleases God when we show love to others (particularly our "enemies"), it pleases Him even more when that love comes from an authentic place in our hearts. You know what I had to do? I had to pray that God would fill me with His love for others, because that kind of love is not exactly in my nature. But it is His nature, and He desires to fill our hearts with it. To me, that's what it means to live by the Spirit instead of the flesh (as in Galatians 5).
This is my prayer--to truly love even those who have offended me the most, even those people who, for whatever reason, I find difficult to love. This is also important because I know that I have offended people, and I know that to some, I am difficult to love! What it would mean to receive genuine love in spite of my shortcomings! We have received it through Christ, and He enables us (as Christians) to have it and offer it to each other. We can't depend on ourselves to do it, but only the Holy Spirit within us. And we can trust in His faithfulness!
3 comments :
so good Amy. Again, i appreciate you as family and as a sister in Christ. I am going to make that my prayer as well!!
Wow you are beyond your years. God is giving you a lot of insight. I was in my 20's when He started getting my attention to the spiritual ways of life. In other words life in Him and He in us is much different than the world's way. Truely we must love as he loves and forgive as He does. Much easier said than done. My prayer is to be so much like Him that people only see Him, I have a long way to go and a short time to get there so I must diligently seek Him and His way. Love in christ,M.D.
that is so true and good amy. amen see you tonight liddle's! :)
ashley
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