It Starts Small

Paul is writing to the Romans and teaching them how to love others. Yesterday we looked at Romans 12:9-10. Paul was teaching us that our love must be authentic! We should never use love for selfish gains. Today He gives us three more details about love.

Love is Sharing!

Paul says share with the saints, our fellow brother and sisters in Christ, in their needs. As you study Paul’s letters, he has this constant command: love one another. He is constantly making sure that we are focused on the needs of not only the unsaved, but the needs of each other. Paul says, love has care and generosity. He gives us two commands.

First, Paul says contribute to the needs of other believers. In Biblical days, it was common practice in the early church for the wealthy Christians to sell their belongings to meet the physical needs of the Christians who were not as well off. This is a demonstration of sacrificial giving and a sincere serving of God. They demonstrated to other believers and the world that they practiced what they preached.

Paul also says we are commanded to show hospitality. This world is cold and lonely to both unbelievers and believers. It can be a dangerous place. A hallmark of the Christian community is meant to offer a safe and welcoming place to believers through hospitality with other believers.

No matter what our pocket book has in it, we can all play a role in helping provide for the physical needs of our family in Christ. There are those who are in need, those who can help serve those in need, and those who help provide the means for the needs. If we all work together we can show the love of God by serving others.

DO NOT Curse!

Paul gives an echo of a command by Jesus.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:44

Followers of Jesus should be seen as those who can love and take care of each other in powerful self-sacrificing ways, and this command is a powerful display of a true love for others. The normal instinct by humans is to do the opposite when being persecuted. It is a natural desire to curse those who have harmed us and avoid doing good for them at all costs.

Paul says, do not curse them, bless them. Doing this will stand out in every situation. This is imitating Jesus word’s and example to us. He says pray for your enemies. Nothing communicates sincere love back to others who are being hurtful than doing good for them and refusing to strike back.

Masters of Empathy

A sign of a Christian love is empathy. Paul continually calls us to be submissive to each other and that includes emotional events. Nothing can communicate a sincere love like recognizing another person in their highs and lows. We show love by empathizing their seasons of celebration and allowing ourselves to feel broken with them in their season of heartache.

Jesus powerfully molded this:

³³ When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you put him?” he asked.
“Lord,” they told him, “come and see.”
³⁵ Jesus wept.

John 11:33-35

Jesus was deeply moved and wept with Mary and the others after Lazarus had died. Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from dead, but that did not keep Him from joining in the sadness of those experiencing the loss.

As saved believers we have been shown a great grace by God, we experienced our temptations and sufferings and have experienced God’s mercy. We need to to be merciful, graceful, and empathetic to others and God has been to us.

In doing so, we reflect God’s empathy through compassion for others.

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