Romans 12: Part 12

Romans 12: Part 12

After telling us to be joyful, patient, and faithful in hope, affliction, and prayer respectively, Paul continues in the first part  of verse 13 by instructing us to "share with the Lord's people who are in need." (Romans 12:13a). 

Share

We are instructed to share. This implies that we have something and we keep some for ourselves and give some to someone else. If I share my lunch with you, we both eat something, whereas if I give you my lunch, you will be full and I will be hungry.  

One interesting thing about this passage is that these instructions come with qualifiers. And while there are other passages commanding us to share with 1) those in need, 2) our teachers, and 3) all people, we will be focusing on what Paul is specifically commanding here. This command does not negate other commands to share with the needy or all people. We shouldn't use these qualifiers to refuse to help anyone outside of our faith family every time a need arises, because we are also to follow other commands such as "give to those in need" (Matthew 6:2) and "give to the one who asks you" (Matthew 5:42). All that said, let's look at these qualifiers.

Qualifier #1

We are to share with the Lord's people. Paul specifies that we should care for "the Lord's people", i.e. Christians, Christ-followers, etc. Now Paul didn't say the opposite. He didn't say "refuse to help non-Christians", but noted that we should be sharing with fellow believers. I interpret this as more of a "if I learn someone in need is a Christian, then that's a double-nudge to help them" instead of "I will interrogate people in need to see if they are Christians before I help them". 

Qualifier #2

We are to share with Christians in need. It is great to share with other Christians, but we should consider if we are helping someone who is struggling or someone who isn't struggling financially. The command to share with those in need is not for us to use as a way to restrict people, but as a way to tell who we need to make sure to include. Sometimes we prefer to bless and share with other Christians who are like us and who appreciate us, instead of sharing with Christians who are in genuine need. And so those who already have more than enough are given even more, while those who don't have enough are still lacking. 

There is a movement of "passing it on" or "paying it forward", but sometimes this focuses on blessing those who aren't in need instead of those who are struggling. For example, it is popular to pay for the car behind you at expensive coffee places, but honestly, if a person is in the drive thru of an expensive coffee place, they have the money to buy their coffee. BUT do you know who is probably struggling to make ends meet? Your cashier, barista, etc. So instead of paying for the person behind us, we can leave a 50% or even 100% tip on our order to help people who sometimes get ignored.  

We as a society struggle with differentiating between needs and wants. We throw "need" around to describe wants. And rather than humbly admitting when we've mixed these two up, we double-down on defending how <coffee> is a NECESSITY rather than a DESIRE. We need food, water, shelter, and so on. We want perks, treats, and non-essential things. 

So let us consider ways that we can share with the Lord's people who are in need this week and beyond. 

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-What was the last thing that you shared with someone? 

-Who do you tend to share with? 

-How often do you struggle with separating your needs and your wants? 

-How often do you share with those who are in need? 

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Romans 12: Part 11

Romans 12: Part 11

After Paul tells us to serve the Lord with spiritual fervor and zeal, he goes on to give 3 more commands in the next sentence: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer". These are three traits or characteristics that we are supposed to be or have and Paul gives three situations in which we should have these traits. 

Being Joyful in Hope

The first thing Paul tells us to be is joyful. More specifically, we should be joyful in hope. Another way to phrase joyful is full of joy. Are we known as people who are full of joy? Christians have a bad reputation, especially in the restaurant industry, of being full of complaints and stingy with their tips. This is not the way things are supposed to be. Let us be filled with joy as we go about our days in hope.

Most of us hope for good things instead of bad things. We hope for things not yet here in the present day. We hope for an end to poverty and so we care for the poor. We hope for an end to racism and so we examine our biases and the way the system is stacked against people of color. Let us hope and then work to realize that hope. Hope isn't a passive verb in this case. It is propelling us forward to do something. It isn't merely "I hope someone feeds that homeless guy", but rather, "I hope we all start rehumanize those on the margins as we seek to learn their needs and meet them" as we buy them supper or give them a bag of food.

Let us carry a sense of joy in these situations where we are standing with the marginalized and magnifying their voices as we hope for and work towards a better tomorrow. 

Being Patient in Affliction

We are to be patient, not just in life in general, but specifically in affliction. Human nature doesn't have a lot of patience, yet we are commanded time and time again in Scripture to be patient. This isn't an optional elective that we get to decide if we want to acquire some patience. We are commanded to be patient. Period. Now will we obey or disobey this command? If we aren't naturally patient, but are commanded to be patient, how are we to become patient? Through practice. All virtues that Christians are told to possess are in fact things to practice doing in our lives. We become patient by choosing to practice patience when we are stressed, antsy, in a hurry, busy, or running behind. 

Paul specified that we should be patient in affliction. Now no one is especially keen on being afflicted or going through a time of affliction, but this is the situation where we should especially be patient. Our true character isn't shown when things are going our way or we are doing what we want to do. Our true colors are shown when we are having a bad day and God is commanding us to do something that we don't want to do. Submission and obedience fade into the background when both parties are in agreement, but when God is guiding us to something we don't want to do, it will soon be clear whether we are willing to obey God or insist that our plans are better than God's. 

Being Faithful in Prayer

Our last instruction in this verse is a command to be "faithful in prayer". Sometimes we approach prayers like goldfish are allegedly approaching life: we say a prayer and then forget about it. Imagine walking into a room with a person, asking them a question, and then leaving before they reply. Yet that is what we do when we request that God does something and then never check to see what happened in that situation. Personally, I will either tell a person A) "thanks for letting me know" or B) "let's pray about that right now" if I know that I won't be following up with a request (or am unable to do so). But if something makes it on my prayer list, then I am praying until I get an update. There are many problems in the world that require long term prayer. When we pray for justice to be given to those who have been marginalized, such as the refugee, the immigrant, the poor, or the widow/orphan, we aren't just praying once and checking that request off. We are praying until God's justice is present in that situation. 

In order to be faithful in prayer, we must be intentional in praying. We might need to take notes. We might need to sort prayers into categories. We might need to review our notes and write down how things have been answered. 

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-Would you typically describe yourself as full of joy? 

-Would a close friend or family member describe you as full of joy? (Ask them to answer honestly and then don't try to convince them otherwise if you aren't happy with their answer. Thank them and take some time to reflect on their answer)

-Do you tend towards the passive hope or the hope that propels you to do something? 

-What examples from your life back up your belief on your view of hope?

-How do you rate your patience? 

-What are you doing to grow and develop your patience? 

-How has the Spirit used affliction to mold you into a more Christ-like person? 

-What do you do when your plans diverge from God's instructions? 

-What can you do to be more faithful in prayer? 

-What are your long-term prayers you are praying? 

-What can you do to be "joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer"? 

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Romans 12: Part 10

Romans 12: Part 10

After Paul instructed us to honor one another above ourselves, he goes on to give a command in three parts in verse 11: A) Never be lacking in zeal, (but) B) Keep your spiritual fervor, C) serving the Lord. 

Don't Lack Zeal

We are commanded to never be lacking in zeal. Dictionary.com defines zeal as "fervor for a person, cause, or object". It is an "eager desire", "enthusiastic diligence", and "ardor". Paul doesn't want us to be lukewarm believers just going through the motions. He wants us to have zeal in our lives. But this begs the question: What should we be zealous of? The next section gives us some guidance as to what we should be zealous of. 

Maintain Spiritual Fervor

This command is contrasted with the previous command. Don't do that, BUT do this. Don't lack zeal, BUT have spiritual fervor. Dictionary.com defines fervor as "a great warmth and earnestness of feeling". Paul didn't just say keep your fervor or have fervor about your passions in life, but he added the adjective spiritual. He wants us to have fervor about spiritual things. In life, people tend to show what they are zealous about by how they spend their money, how they spend their time, and what they talk about. Many people in the US have been keeping their political fervor more than their spiritual fervor. We spend more time arguing for our rights or complaining about our political opponents instead of serving God and those around us. 

Serve the Lord

This verse concludes with instructions to serve the Lord. We are not to primarily be serving one nation, one political party, or one organization. We serve God first and foremost. How do we serve God? By doing what He commands. This includes avoiding the bad things (such as idolatry), as well as doing the good things (such as loving God and loving people). We serve God by spending time with Him and in His Word, as we worship and praise Him.

Conclusion

Sometimes our temptation in our Christian walk is to want something big, exciting, or spectacular. We want to do something big and showy to prove our devotion to God, but many times, God wants our simple obedience to Him in our daily lives. Going on a mission trip to serve people and proclaim the Good News is a good activity, but more important than that one week of our lives is how we live each day in faithful obedience to God. It may not seem as impressive to us and might even seem a bit mundane and boring, but this is part of the Christian walk. Will we be faithful in the small things? In the mundane things? In the things that don't attract notice or human praise? Instead of rushing onto the next thing on our schedules today, I recommend that we take some time to sit with these 3 ordinary commands and ponder how we can follow them in the coming weeks. 

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

When have you been lacking in zeal? 

What have you been keeping your fervor in? 

How have you served the Lord recently? 

Do you gravitate towards grand gestures to God or the small, faithful acts?

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Romans 12: Part 9

Romans 12: Part 9

After Paul commanded us to "be devoted to one another in love", he takes it a step further by adding that his audience should "honor one another above yourselves" in verse 10b. We will break this down into 4 parts below. 

Honor.

What does "honor" mean? In short, it means to respect or to revere someone. We do this by treating a person with honor. When we honor someone, we are treating them as someone worthwhile and valuable. We are not annoyed with them or belittling them with our words or actions. 

Honor Who? 

Who should we honor? One another. Paul didn't say "honor yourselves above others", but he said the opposite. We should honor others above ourselves. Like last week's post mentioned, ANOTHER is AN OTHER. We should honor those who are different than us. It is easy to like those who look like us, act like us, and vote like us, but we aren't called to just love those who are like us. Throughout His ministry, Jesus kept widening the definition of who our neighbors are, as well as who we are supposed to love and pray for. At the end of Matthew 5, Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors, because even non-believers love those who love them. Likewise, let us honor AN OTHER. Someone who looks, acts, dresses, votes, or worships differently than we do. 

Above.

Above is a fairly similar word. It is the opposite of below. So we should honor others as higher than ourselves. This is more than just "treat people how we want to be treated". This is stepping it up a notch. Paul didn't say "honor others as much as we honor ourselves". They should be honored ABOVE us. Like John the Baptist saying in John 3:30 "He must become greater, I must become less" (in reference to Jesus), we are taking a step back from worldly praise. Instead of promoting ourselves, we are honoring someone else. Instead of sharing our opinions, we are listening to someone else's perspective. We are seeking to learn about them, instead of teaching about ourselves. This is difficult to do, but this is what is commanded here. We are accepting a role as the supporting cast, instead of the star of the show. We are mentioning their achievements instead of our own. We are letting go of our need to be heard, to be the main agent of progress, to be in the spotlight. Because we are putting someone else above ourselves.

Yourselves. 

The last word we are looking at here is "yourselves". We humans are vain creatures, so it is important that we are told to honor others above ourselves. Paul didn't choose a marginalized, disliked, or oppressed group to be the mark of "honor others above this level". He didn't say "honor others more than you do tax collectors". He choose us to be the threshold. We should honor others more than ourselves. However well we want to be treated, revered, or respected, we should treat others with more respect and reverence. However gently and lovingly we want to be corrected, we should treat others even better. Many times, we want other people to make the first step. We say "If they want me to respect them, they ought to respect me first". Except that is not what God commands here. We are to honor others above ourselves. Period. End of sentence. God didn't add "IF they begin by treating you with honor". We are to treat people this way, EVEN IF they do not respond in kind. Even if they are rude, demeaning, or arrogant. Once again, other people's obedience or disobedience to this command does not change whether we get to disregard it ourselves. If we disregard it, we are disobeying God and therefore sinning. 

So let us honor one another above ourselves. 

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-What does it look like to honor someone? 

-How often do you honor someone who is different than you? 

-How do you show them honor? 

-How can you broaden the audience this applies to? 

-What is the difference between "honor someone AS MUCH AS yourself" and "honor someone ABOVE yourself"? 

-Who are the groups that you dislike, look down upon, or fear? How can you honor them? 

-How do you want to be treated? 

-How can you extend that same treatment first? 

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Romans 12: Part 8

Romans 12: Part 8

After Paul wrote that we should hate what is evil and cling to what is good, he continues with another command. Again, I am splitting this verse into two parts, so we will address part b next week. 

Paul commands that Christians "be devoted to one another in love" (Romans 12:10a).

How should we be devoted to one another? IN LOVE. We are devoted, one person to another, in love. Love is the glue that holds our virtues together (see Colossians 3:14). 

Who should we be devoted to? Another. An other. Someone who is different than you. Far too often, we only want to devote ourselves to people like us (and we make the category of "US" quite narrow, while "THEM" is quite broad). People who look like us, eat like us, dress like us, vote like us, and so on. Yet, the Bible doesn't provide us with this qualifier. Paul didn't write "Be devoted to one another in love, IF it is convenient" or "IF you hold similar political opinions". We’re told simply to be devoted.

Our obedience to this command in Scripture also does not depend on anyone's else obedience. If we choose to treat someone hatefully, because that is how we are being treated, then we are disobeying Scripture. Another person's disobedience to the Bible does not give us permission to respond in kind. We are called to live out Jesus's commands EVEN IF the other person is blatantly disobeying the same commands. We are called to love our neighbors and our enemies, EVEN IF they are rude, annoying, or disrespectful. We are commanded to help the poor, EVEN IF we don't feel like they "deserve" it.

Be devoted. To people that are different than you. And do it with love.

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-How have you been doing at obeying this command? 

-What have you done to show your devotion to AN OTHER in love? 

-How have you narrowed your definition of "us"?

-How have you widened your definition of "them"? 

-How does Paul's lack of a qualifying IF broaden our definition of who we should love? 

-When have you been guilty of disobeying Biblical commands because someone else was also disobeying as they mistreated you? 

-What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do as you seek to live out this verse? 

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.