Read: Romans 12:9-21
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (v. 10)
One of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar was “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.” The song only has four chords, so I could pause between changing chords without making the song sound terrible. I’m much better at playing the song today, but I still have a long way to go on living out the words.
In Romans, Paul deals with the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, the struggle with sin in the life of the believer, and the mystery that God loved us before we deserved it. He later focuses on how the church should function, using the image of the human body to show that each person has unique gifts and is needed in order for the church to be healthy and function at its best (vv. 9–21). They need each other. Paul gives instructions about loving each other with “brotherly affection” (v. 10) before all his other instructions to “show hospitality” (v. 12), to “bless those who persecute you” (v. 14), and to care for our enemies (v. 20).
We have to begin with those who are closest to us. If we cannot love the people in front of us, how will we be able to show God’s love to those who are harder to love? God is calling us to delight in each other, to show love for each other, and in so doing become better equipped to love anyone else we might encounter. —April Fiet
As you pray, think about two or three people in your life and delight in who they are.
About the Author
April Fiet co-pastors First Presbyterian Church in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and is a published author. She enjoys gardening, feeding her backyard chickens, and learning about new things.
