Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
- P26
12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
- P27
Love must be sincere. Believers must hate evil, cling to what is good, and bedevoted to one another in love. Paul instructs them to keep their spiritualfervor, joyful hope, patience in affliction, and faithfulness in prayer. Believersare to share with those in need, practice hospitality, and bless those whopersecute them. - P27
Paul indicates the attitude that we should have as we serve God and His people. We are to love earnestly and sincerely, without being hypocritical, lukewarm, or inconsiderate toward the ones we love. Rather than being competitive or comparing ourselves with one another, we should honor other believers and be devoted to them. - P28
We can point out what we appreciate about them and find ways to show our loyalty and commitment. We should despise evil and cling to what is good—the good things being a reflection of God Himself. - P28
Our commitment to one another is a fruit of our zeal and fervor to serve the Lord. It is as we devote ourselves to Him that our love for others becomes stronger and purer. - P28
Some of us have no problem being joyful in hope and faithful in prayer, butbeing patient in affliction can be unusually difficult. It requires endurancewhile experiencing prolonged pain. Being hospitable and sharing withthose in need can also be a challenge because it requires the investment oftime and money. - P28
Perhaps the greatest challenge of all is to bless those whopersecute us. Responding in these ways is difficult, but it is possible whenwe keep our eyes focused on God and remember the sacrifice of Christ.
- P28
When we reflect on the difficulties and pain Jesus willingly accepted on ourbehalf and consider His great love for us, we find that our own responsesare opportunities to demonstrate His ways and become more like Him... - P28
Dear Lord, thank you for modeling how we should respond to difficult situations. When my love and passion start to wane, inspire me once again to reflect Your character and follow Your ways. In Your name I pray, amen. - P29
When my passion to serve God and His people begins to fade, I notice thatthis usually happens because I have experienced some severe disappoint-ment or have not spent enough quality time with the Lord. In either case,
I find that listening to worship music, particularly songs that declare God‘sgoodness, faithfulness, and love, is a helpful first step toward renewing andrestoring my soul. I remember how faithful God has been to me and thatno disappointment is so great that He cannot help me overcome it. Thesongs remind me that I am loved and cherished and that I have the privilegeof serving our great and powerful God. - P29
reset myLastly, fasting from any negative or distracting influences brings peace tofocus and re-center it back on God. This can involve avoiding so-cial media or certain people or events. Replacing these influences with moretime with God and paying greater attention to what He is doing rekindlesmy love and fervor for building up His kingdom. - P29
Paul exhorts the believers to bear with one another and please others above themselves, resembling Christ, who did not seek to please Himself but endured the insults of others. We are encouraged to follow His example, learning from what was written in the past in the Scriptures, which teach us about endurance and inspire us to have hope. Then, we are able to bear with one another’s differences, embrace each other, and become of one mind and one voice. - P54
We are reminded that, when we face difficulties within the church, we can look to Christ, who gave Himself up to fulfill the perfect will of God. May we humbly commit ourselves to becoming one in Christ for His glory.
- P54
Citing many different Old Testament passages, Paul proves the point thatScripture teaches us to accept one another, just as Christ accepted us. Whenwe show such unity and grace, we bring praise to God. His divine plan wasto bring His people together, and that plan continues today. Therefore, asHis children, we submit to the will of our Father and follow the exampleof Christ, choosing to love and accept one another. - P54
When we encounterdifferences in the church, we do not need to respond with judgment orcriticism that divides the community. Rather, by the power of the HolySpirit, we can be filled with joy and peace as we trust in the God of hopeand offer our praises to Him. - P54
From my mother and my senior pastor, I have learned that the best rolemodels are those who not only teach with words but also live out what theysay. In today‘s passage, Paul reminds us that the Scriptures testify to the ex-ample of Christ, which we as believers are called to follow: His endurance,
His willingness to bear with others, His mercy and acceptance, and Hishumility. All of these are written for us so that we may learn from Him,
become more like Him, and glorify God through our lives. - P55
As we devoteourselves to the daily reading of Scripture and make an effort to live out itsteachings, we will find ourselves becoming more like our Lord Jesus Christ. - P55
Dear Father, thank you for the perfect example of Your Son who shows me how to accept and live harmoniously with those around me. Help me to bear and endure and accept and love for Your kingdom and Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P55
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