Instructions for Life -- Part Trois

Romans 12

I am reluctant to call this "The Laundry List," but Paul touches on so many important points in these next few verses.  In fact, 1 Corinthians 13 is commonly known as the "Love Chapter," and poetically it looks better on wedding invites and unity candles, but if there was a contest for that moniker, I'm guessing this chapter came in a close Second.  Paul's language is so simple a child can understand it, but so difficult to execute in our sin-affected society.

Verse 9:  "Let love be genuine."  What is love?  The Bible teaches us over and over: 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4:8, Proverbs 10:12, 13:24, John 15:13, 1 John 3:16-18 and on and on.  As for "genuine?" Honestly felt and experienced, literal, free from hypocrisy or dishonesty, sincere, true.  Paul doesn't distinguish between love for family or what is commonly known as "true love."  According to God, all love must be true; maybe not romantic, but true.  And familial love?  Well blood, biology and "family" are concepts that define us here on earth, but God's family is Heavenly.  Remember Mark 12:31?  "Love your neighbor as yourself."  That's the neighbor that mows his lawn at 7AM, or parties LOUDLY until 11PM.  The guy who loads up his cart with high dollar snacks and prime cuts of meat and pays with an ACCESS card.  The woman that has everything she needs while her children look like rag-a-muffins.  The Deadbeat Dad.  The alcoholic.  Love 'em!  Genuinely.

What about the second part of verse 9?  "Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good."  Turn on the TV, look at a newspaper.  We are a society that thrives on gory, shocking, despicable stories.  People who commit heinous acts get front page coverage; their deeds set the standard for our behavior -- panic instantaneously pays a visit when one child is abducted or one woman is raped.  We live in fear and bury our courage to stand up for the truth, or do the right thing, or minister to "the wrong kinds of people," or feed those in the "wrong side of town."  Are there low-lifes and scheisters in this world?  Absolutely.  We've all been one at some time or another.  Maybe our deeds weren't raunchy enough by the world's standards, to make headlines, but we've all done things for which we need to be ashamed.  And those "Boy Scout Saves Senior Citizen" or "Philanthropist Donates Thousands" stories?  Hidden on page six or scattered on the cutting room floor, unless the Boy Scout turns out to be a pervert, or the philanthropist gives to an organization that bilked half the population out of their retirement.

Verse 10: "Outdo one another in showing honor."  Years ago, a counselor told me that part of the fun in a relationship was "outdoing," in a playful way, one another in showing how much we loved and appreciated the other person.  Scott and I do it all the time.  He buys me a soda, I cook him breakfast; I write a note in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, he tapes a note to my dashboard.  And so it goes.  But what of those people outside our front door?  Do we honor them above ourselves?  Do we treat them better than we treat ourselves?  Do we even think that at any point in time we would want to?  I don't know how to spell that sound my husband and his mother make when they are completely repulsed, but if I could, it would be in this space right here.  Can you imagine saying, "Good morning" to the crossing guard who never says it back?  Would you ever want to smile and say "thank you" to the cashier who pointed to your total on the register and gave you your change like it was coming out of his pocket?  Can you fathom giving up your only child to someone whose hate for you is so strong they curse your name and defile what you have given them? (John 3:16)

I'm feeling pretty convicted at this point.  I think I'll let that sit for a while.

Instructions for Life -- Part Deux

Romans 12, an amazing, sort of sums-it-all-up instruction book in itself.  Not to single out one particular passage of Scripture and say, "This is it," but so much is covered, so succinctly and with such a timeless application.

Self-Esteem:  Know anyone with self-esteem issues?  Yeah, welcome to the 21st century.  It seems everyone has some sort of self-esteem issue -- "I'm not pretty enough, or thin enough." or maybe they over compensate -- "How fabulous am I?" or those who simply drop out, disengage, or disappear -- maybe not in the physical sense, but influential, valuable voices silenced by insecurity or low self-esteem.  Knowing that we were created by a loving God, who designed us specifically for the journey ahead, who has a plan for each one of us, who loves us enough to hold us accountable, who has our backs when we walk with Him, who will lead and guide us if we only ask, who expects us to treat ourselves with respect because, to quote an old saying: "God doesn't make junk" -- that's what verses 1 and 2 are all about!  And, sadly, that's what The Big Bang and Evolution have removed from the minds of school-aged children in the past forty years.

Valuing Diversity:  A nasty catch phrase among conservative Christians, and an anything-goes ideal for Liberals; we are a nation of extremists.  Verses 3-8 talk about valuing the gifts God has given us ALL.  I cannot relate to artistic types, I am crossword puzzles and Sudoku -- tangibles, definites.  The concept of "infinity" or "undefined" in algebra is maddening to me -- a complete sell-out.  However, I love art, and my music collection is nothing if not eclectic.  Art and music make this world livable, and I envy those who are awakened in the middle of the night by a song in their head, or those who paint things we cannot see.  This is not about loving only those things that come wrapped in a suit and tie, or arrive promptly at 7, or live only as we live and dress only as we dress.  Likewise, it is not an open door policy for every perversion, desire or "form of expression" that appears on a Lil Wayne album cover.  If we recognize God as the Creator, we must recognize the gifts He gives, the folks to which He gave them, and value them as we value Him.

Tomorrow:  Romans 12:9, 10

Instructions for Life

Quirky is a word that applies to each and every one of us, I believe.  We all have our own little "quirks" -- things that make us unique, putting it politely, or just downright strange, to be frank.

In ninth grade we had a teacher, Mr. Ness -- quirky.  As children, and that's what we were, or at least how we acted, we ridiculed this man unmercifully.  Irony is, I never imagined just how many times in my adult life I would be reminded of, or refer back to something he said.  A class, a teacher that I had dismissed as a total waste of time (largely because of the "quirks" that made him different from me) became an important resource later in life.  Mr. Ness used to tell us that when people said, "Life doesn't come with instructions, you know!" we should know that it does -- the Word of God.  Mr. Ness never held back -- he spoke to us like the adults we would, hopefully, one day become (although it didn't look good for some of us); he shared personal stories -- things that, at the time, we labeled TMI (Too Much Information) and he answered truthfully all those we questions we asked, even though some were asked just to waste time or add more fuel to our already burning effigy.  I have always told my children that "the truth" when spoken is the truth -- I don't care if it comes from the homeless guy at the Dunkin' Donuts or the ignorant rich guy that just flipped you off at the Wawa five minutes ago.  If it's God's truth, He uses the most unlikely vessels to bring us to His throne.  Mr. Ness gave me the truth -- God's truth.  I know this because he never taught a class without backing it up with the Word of God.

So, today, for my highly underappreciated ninth grade teacher, Mr. Ness, I give you Romans 12.  Click on the link, read it, and tell me what you think.  Tomorrow I'll tell you what I think.

"What God Hath Wrought"

2 Corinthians 5:16-21:  From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What an amazing promise!  Everything has changed for those who believe!  We are no longer bound by the limitations, stereotypes, opinions and evils of this world.  God looks at us as being reconciled, or made right with Him; we should view ourselves and each other the same way!  We can proclaim the Gospel, win others to Christ and change the world, all because of what He has done for us.  Such love, that God would not only desire this for us, but accomplish it in sending His perfect, sinless Son to become what we were, suffer the indignity of being judged and found guilty by evil, and receive our punishment.