Romans 12:9-21 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly 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 God'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.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
Do no be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
I Corinthians 13:4-8a Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
Our church is currently in Romans twelve and I've read that chapter, along with the passage from I Corinthians, several times over the last week. I just typed out a lengthy explanation of why these passages are so good for me right now, but I decided to delete it. Let's just say that I know exactly which area of love I currently have the most room for improvement in.
I'm guessing it would take you a total of ten seconds to identify your weakest spot. If not, then go through the Roman's passage like a checklist and mark off the things you do consistently, then go through the I Corinthians passage and mark off the adjectives and actions that others could easily use to describe you. Know which area of love you need to work on now?
I'll be working on my weakest area. Want to join me?
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