Embrace what is good
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Romans 12:9
This is a pretty simple message, but not so easy to live by. To hate what is evil, and cling to or embrace what is good. If you are not sure what that looks like or even how to do it, Paul lays it out in the following verses. Verses 10-17 of this chapter is a list of ways to shun evil and do good. It is a straightforward list and when you read through it, I’m sure you will agree that it makes sense. However, read it again and think about each directive on the list and you will come to realize that help will be needed to accomplish all that is written here. Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit who empowers, enables and even equips us to live this kind of life that honors God.
Read over the list several times and then ask the Holy Spirit to help and empower you today to not only remember these things, but also to do them.
- Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love
- Honor others by giving preference to them – put others first
- Do not neglect to be diligent
- Be fervent/passionate in spirit
- serving the Lord (By loving others)
- rejoicing in hope (be joyful)
- patient in tribulation
- constant in prayer
- distributing to the needs of the saints
- given to hospitality
- Bless those who persecute you
- bless and do not curse (with your words and thoughts)
- Rejoice with those who rejoice
- weep with those who weep
- Be of the same mind toward one another – in agreement
- Do not set your mind on high/self promoting things, but associate with the humble
- Do not be wise in your own opinion
- Repay no one evil for evil – pay back
- Have regard/think about good things in the sight of all people
Today I want to encourage you to turn away from what is evil and embrace what is good by doing what is good. Submit and surrender all of your heart and attitudes over to your Heavenly Father. Ask the Holy Spirit to make His heart real in your life and let it show up in the way you love others and the words of encouragement you speak. Put away the cursing and complaining you used to do and begin to speak life and joy into others. Look for the good in those people around you and help draw that out of them. See their potential and inspire them to live up to it. Anyone can surrender to the evil ways of the world and most do, but that is not for God’s people. We are different, and that should be recognized by the way we love like Jesus loved.
Today’s scripture reading: Romans 12:9-17
The Daily Dose 