“Love must be sincere” Romans 12:9

The test of our theology is not the creed that we subscribe to, important as that is. The test of our theology is how we treat people because to be a Christ follower is to love people like Jesus loves them. Unfortunately there is plenty of unkindness among God’s people. Most of us have experienced it. At times we have probably also contributed to it. But, Jesus makes it clear that to follow Him is to treat people as He treats them which means a whole lot more love and a whole lot less unkindness on our part.

It is instructive to see how much attention Paul pays to the practical theology of how we treat others. A classic passage is found in Romans 12:9-13. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

What does sincere love look like? It means that we hate evil and cling to what is good. Being diligent to eradicate evil or sin from our lives is critical to being a person who loves. Goodness becomes part of our DNA that then spills over to others. Going a step further, Paul says to be devoted to one another in love.

This is all about actively looking for ways to love one another and love is usually demonstrated in practical ways. It is loving someone through serving them in some way. Practicing practical acts of kindness and being an encourager and actively seeking the best for one another. This is a lot different than a lot of the gossip and backbiting that takes place even in the church. Think about this: it is far more common to say something unkind about another individual than to speak well of them. 

Paul does not tell us to love the people we like or naturally gravitate toward. That is a given. He wants us to love all of God’s children and seek the very best for them at all times and in all situations. The key to this is profound. We are to honor one another above ourselves. Every one of us is pretty good at taking care of ourselves. The way to love even those who we would not naturally gravitate toward is that we honor others above ourselves. I know how I treat myself. If I honor you above myself, I will treat you with special consideration and love. 

This includes sharing with others what we have. Paul says, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”  I often wonder if we do this as well as Jesus wants us to in our independent western society where we have the expectation that people should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. As one who has worked in many cultures I have often observed much greater generosity among believers than here in the west, where we ironically have much more. I have been in situations where believers who could not afford to do so wanted to bless me with what little they had. It was a humbling experience. 

I am also intrigued by Paul’s admonition for us to practice hospitality. Inviting people into our homes and to our dinner table is an intimate experience. It invites conversation, kindness and relationship. And, it is an intentional act on our part to open ourselves to others. I am challenged by this because we are so busy that we often don’t have time to practice hospitality and what suffers are the kind of loving relationships that Paul calls us to. It is also not lost on me that in the Gospels we constantly have Jesus at dinner parties or simply breaking bread with others. In that society, as is true in the Middle East today, this was not a rushed affair. Dinners were long and filled with conversation, good food, levity, and serious matters. I have often had dinners in the Middle East starting at nine pm and ending after midnight. That is serious hospitality that leads to deeper relationships. And it is in the context of relationships that love flourishes the best.

It is interesting that Paul’s comments on how to love others well include these instructions that almost seem out of place in that context. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” How do these words fit into the conversion of loving others well? I think the answer is this: we cannot love others well unless we keep our spiritual temperature high. Jesus is calling us to a life of generosity and kindness. A life of unselfishness and sharing. A life where we open our hearts and our homes to others. All of these characteristics are matters of our own spiritual commitments. The more we stay in a great relationship with Him, the better we can love one another. Our love for Jesus fuels our love for each other.

Take some time today to think about your relationships with other believers. Are they most characterized by love or by unkindness? Are our words, words of encouragement or criticism? Do we welcome others into our hearts and our homes? Even those who we would not naturally hang with? Do we practice the art of honoring one another above ourselves? And who would not want to be a part of a congregation that practiced such attitudes? 

Father, help me to love members of your family well and to welcome them into my heart and my home. Help me to become an expert in simple acts of kindness that bless others. Help me to love like you love.

The Question for Today: how can I demonstrate this kind of love to someone today?