As I was spending time in prayer God led me to these verses in Romans:
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” Romans 12:9-18
I started thinking about how our family would be if we fully lived out these verses, can you imagine?
Yes, we love each other, but what if we REALLY loved each other – as God’s word says.
If we loved unconditionally, always putting others first, never trying to get our own way, never irritable but always patient and always kind.
What if we hated what was wrong? If we hated anger or jealousy, would we partake in it?
What if we truly honored each other? Honoring, putting others before ourselves, respecting them and their wishes. Perhaps serving them with no thought of the cost to us nor thinking they should be serving us.
Serving the Lord by serving our family enthusiastically, what a picture that is.
Always ready to help – and eager to do so. Never cursing others, but blessing instead – even our enemies.
What if we sought to live in harmony with each other? To me, harmony paints a picture of beauty and of sweet sound, not just the absence of quarrels.
What if we lived our lives so that everyone could see we were honorable?
I pray that we are.
I wish that we were a perfect picture of Romans 12, but we aren’t. I pray that we are striving to become more like this picture of true Christians. Oh how I pray that is our goal.
I was reminded that as the Mom of this family, often times I set the tone in our home. I must be all of these things if I expect my family to be them. I can’t ask them to be something I’m not willing to be. I am the example they look to. I am the one guiding them and setting the standard.
Am I serving enthusiastically?
Am I truly loving them?
Am I honoring them?
I could go on and on with these verses, but I know you get the idea.
I printed these verses out and put them on the front of our fridge. I want to see them every day. I want to be reminded of how I am to be as a child of the King. I want to learn to fully live out these verses and be that example to my family. I want to live so that others can see I am honorable.
I want to live so that others see Jesus in me.
I encourage you to study these verses, meditate on them and pray over them. Pray them for yourself and for your family.
Blessings,
Rashel
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Rashel - Thank you for your encouragement and thoughts on what it means to be and live a Romans 12 lifestyle. Blessings, stopping by from #WomenWithIntention
ReplyDeleteThank you Debbie for stopping by and for taking the time to comment! ❤
ReplyDeleteRashel - I love your post so much I'm printing it out to keep in my planner so I can re-read it every day! I constantly need to be reminded of these verses. I know in my home it's kind of like the saying "If mama aint happy aint no body happy!"
ReplyDeleteOh Jenny that is the sweetest compliment! That saying is so true!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the time to comment!
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