Let Love Be Genuine

Romans 12:9-21

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 conceited. 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.

That's a lot to take in. Reading Romans 12 can make you feel like you're reading a rule book, and the weight of the obligation settles on top of you. But it doesn't have to feel like that. The beauty of this passage is that it demonstrates what it looks like to be who we want to be. Personal opinion: the opening sentence is a header. Let love be genuine. Its not a unique instruction, but the lead into what follows. What does it mean for love to be genuine? It means to outdo others in showing honor. It means to associate with the lowly. It means overcoming evil with good. True love longs to do these things.


Sitting in a hip hop worship service in Lawndale a few weeks ago, I heard a young Marine preach one of the best sermons I had ever heard on this passage. He reminded his friends in the congregation that loving others is costly. Its not always fun and it certainly is not easy, but we do it anyways because God first loved us. 


This semester, I want to learn what it means for love to be genuine. I want to flood my day to day life with Romans 12 behavior. And, so with an ounce of structure and a pound of reflection, I'm embracing this passage whole-heartedly. 


Each week, I will have one command to follow for the week and I will seek to live out that aspect of genuine love. At the end of each week, and maybe at other times, I will blog about this journey, sharing what I've learned, what I've done and how I've failed.

Lord, humble me and teach me to be your servant. Show me the glory of serving others in your name. May I become less so that you become more. May I bless others as you have blessed me.