Cling To What Is Good
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil;
cling to what is good. Be devoted to
one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be
lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful
in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the
Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice;
mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with
people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Romans
12:9-16
During a two-month period in 1994,
as many as one million Tutsis were slain in Rwanda by Hutu tribe members bent
on killing their fellow countrymen. In the wake of this horrific genocide,
Bishop Geoffrey Rwubusisi approached his wife about
reaching out to women whose loved ones had been slain. Mary’s reply was, “All I
want to do is cry.” She too had lost members of her family. The bishop’s
response was that of a wise leader and caring husband: “Mary, gather the women
together and cry with them.” He knew his wife’s pain had prepared her to
uniquely share in the pain of others.
The church, the family of God, is
where all of life can be shared—the good and not-so-good. The New
Testament words “one another” are used to capture our interdependence. “Be
devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. . . . Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:10, 16). The extent of our connectedness
is expressed in verse 15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who
mourn.”
While the depth and scope of our
pain may pale in comparison with those affected by genocide, it’s nonetheless
personal and real. And, as with the pain of Mary, because of what God has done
for us it can be embraced and shared for the comfort and good of others.
When
have you allowed someone else to share your sorrow? How does the body of
Christ—the church—help you deal with the hard times in life?
Gracious
God, forgive me for my reluctance to
enter the pain of others. Help me to live more fully as a connected member of
Your church.
Our
Daily Bread – February 10, 2020