Romans 12: 9-21

I just came back from a Bible study where we studied Romans 12. I read through the chapter, which is one that I (surprisingly) had never read before, and it was the most impacting Bible passage I have read in a while. I really loved the whole chapter, but I especially liked verses 9-21.The heading above this section was appropriately titled "Marks of the True Christian".

      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 by evil, but overcome evil with good.

First of all, this was a very convicting passage for me. Every sentence contained something that God delights in, and calls us to to as Christians living for him. And honestly, I don't think that I am living out any of those things fully. I realized that if I desire to live like I am a Christian all the time, not just a church, youth group, or Bible study, I need to be actively working on making myself more like this passage. I really don't do that- and I want to start doing it.

The first sentences talk about the "in this world but not of this world" a little bit. God talks a lot about filling your hearts with what is good, and staying away from evil. I realize that this includes everything in my life- what I watch, how I think, who I listen to, everything. That made me think of Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is an excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about such things." I think that if I start surrounding myself with Godly people and things, it will be hugely beneficial to my relationship with God.

The next part talks about being active in your relationship with Christ. It talks about not being lazy (which I most definitely am lazy- all the time), and many other fruits of the spirit. When I read it today, I looked at it as a sort of jumping-off point for the person I want to be, especially now that I am starting high school.

The one thing I want to talk about in the second paragraph is the verses on revenge. It is a very hopeful and practical passage. When you want to get back at someone, 1.) Don't. 2.) God is already working on it. He will serve justice. I also like that it affirms the saying "kill them with kindness". When you are responding to someone who is being mean, being kind is so much more effective than being mean back. If you do that, I think God will be faithful to make sure that it makes in impact on that person.

Finally, I am just so thankful for that passage. I am starting high school in less than two weeks, and I know that I am going to need the Bible's guidance on how to act as a Christian. I think it is no accident that the first time I read the chapter was today, and I hope it will help shape the way I act in the coming weeks and months.

Grace