Honor...
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.
Romans 12:9-21
This passage has been convicting me and challenging me so much over the past few months, and I think that I've been pushing this aside a little too long.
Do I really OUTDO other people in my life in showing HONOR to them? The definition for honor is "High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem". I must respect those I come in contact with. It is a constant battle to live your life on a higher level and to be genuine in our care for someone. We are called to love people like Christ loved us.
Also, "live peaceably with others." How many times do we get in to a fast motion, and it's hard to seek to be at peace with everyone. We get so busy that we don't take time to make sure that things are okay. But if you continue reading it says, "as long as it depends on you." Sometimes, there's just nothing you can do. I know those times are the most frustrating for me, because I am a "fixer". I like to fix things and make sure thing are just right. If I can't make it right, I start to believe I'm not trying hard enough, and there's more I can do. But, in a recent friendship of mine, I had to put this very verse into practice. There was a fight that I didn't really understand going on. I tried my best to fix it one night, and found myself pushing this person farther and farther away. So I stopped. I read this passage, sent it to the other person, and did not contact them again. A few weeks went by, and we were able to restore the friendship. Sometimes you just have to back off... and if it's meant to be a relationship that God has placed in your life to cause you growth, then it will work out. We're people, who are still sinners saved by grace. We're not perfect and we won't be until we reach heaven.
Lastly, one of the things that's been eating me up is the last part of this section, "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.". So many times my flesh wants me to just defend my own honor... to give a reason why I'm wonderful, amazing, and deserve to be liked. It bothers me when people don't love me for me... when they find fault in me, or when they just don't like me. Then I get reminded that I'm nobody. I'm nothing, and God could carry on this world just fine without me (usually screwing everything up). He's given me every opportunity I receive, and for that I am thankful.SO, in those situations , I've decided, even if I don't know what I've done to upset someone, or even if I've been really hurt, I have to overcome that evil with good. I've got to outdo them in showing honor. Not for me... but for the glory of God. It's never about me.... It's ALL about Him.
A lot of these thoughts are put together a little random, but I just don't think I can hold them in anymore. So... hope you glean something from this too....
Romans 12:9-21
This passage has been convicting me and challenging me so much over the past few months, and I think that I've been pushing this aside a little too long.
Do I really OUTDO other people in my life in showing HONOR to them? The definition for honor is "High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem". I must respect those I come in contact with. It is a constant battle to live your life on a higher level and to be genuine in our care for someone. We are called to love people like Christ loved us.
Also, "live peaceably with others." How many times do we get in to a fast motion, and it's hard to seek to be at peace with everyone. We get so busy that we don't take time to make sure that things are okay. But if you continue reading it says, "as long as it depends on you." Sometimes, there's just nothing you can do. I know those times are the most frustrating for me, because I am a "fixer". I like to fix things and make sure thing are just right. If I can't make it right, I start to believe I'm not trying hard enough, and there's more I can do. But, in a recent friendship of mine, I had to put this very verse into practice. There was a fight that I didn't really understand going on. I tried my best to fix it one night, and found myself pushing this person farther and farther away. So I stopped. I read this passage, sent it to the other person, and did not contact them again. A few weeks went by, and we were able to restore the friendship. Sometimes you just have to back off... and if it's meant to be a relationship that God has placed in your life to cause you growth, then it will work out. We're people, who are still sinners saved by grace. We're not perfect and we won't be until we reach heaven.
Lastly, one of the things that's been eating me up is the last part of this section, "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.". So many times my flesh wants me to just defend my own honor... to give a reason why I'm wonderful, amazing, and deserve to be liked. It bothers me when people don't love me for me... when they find fault in me, or when they just don't like me. Then I get reminded that I'm nobody. I'm nothing, and God could carry on this world just fine without me (usually screwing everything up). He's given me every opportunity I receive, and for that I am thankful.SO, in those situations , I've decided, even if I don't know what I've done to upset someone, or even if I've been really hurt, I have to overcome that evil with good. I've got to outdo them in showing honor. Not for me... but for the glory of God. It's never about me.... It's ALL about Him.
A lot of these thoughts are put together a little random, but I just don't think I can hold them in anymore. So... hope you glean something from this too....
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