 |
| Pixabay.com |
Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not be slothful in zeal,
be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation,
be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:10-12 (ESV)
Words of Paul
The Apostle Paul wrote these words to “ all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints….” (Romans 1:7)
As God’s children, we are to treat each other as if they were our brothers and sisters. He instructs us to do this because we are all God’s children.
Paul further tells us we are to “Outdo one another in showing honor.” When we choose to do something for someone, we should do it because we are led to. We are not supposed to expect something from him or her in return.
Paul tells us we are not to be ‘slothful in zeal,” by this he means that we are not to be slow in passion or enthusiasm.1
He next tells us to “be fervent in Spirit”.
Being fervent simply means having great depth or feeling.2
He next tells us to “serve the Lord.” Simply stated, we are to work for the Lord, our God.
Now, some of us are unable to do what we used to do for God. For me, I am able to pray and send cards to those who are ill, have lost a loved one, or try to encourage those who seem to be down.
He tells us to “Rejoice in hope,” We are to take pleasure3 in hope and all the good things God allows us to experience.
He, then tells us to “be patient in tribulation,” This is one area of my life that I have struggled with for a long time.
It’s been in recent years that I have found myself to be calm during something that could cause a person much stress. (In the past, I could be a basket case when things got to tense.)
Paul then tells us to “be constant in prayer.” Sometimes, we have to mentally send up sentence prayers to God. At other times we can receive a phone call from someone who asks us to pray for them. We can pray for that need right then. We should always be ready to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those who need to know Jesus.
_________
1,2,and 3 are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. com Accessed 4/25/2023
thank you for this excellent study of Romans 12:10-12. Such wonderful words for us to ponder and apply to our own lives. I know I need to work on some of those areas for sure. The "constant in prayer" admonition is good...and I find that I am often praying for different ones as I read their posts here in blogland and on Facebook. There is so much need out there, and we all need prayer at one time or another. I know it's best for me to pray as soon as I see the request because I do get sidetracked and forget until I am reminded of it again. I try to be more consistent about it, but again, there are so many requests it is hard to keep up. I am thankful that God doesn't have that problem. He can keep up with all of our needs with no hesitation. We are blessed to be His children. Have a blessed and wonderful rest of your week.
ReplyDeletePam: I understand about having to pray for a request when we first hear or read of it. Yes, there is so much need out there in our world. Peace and blessings.
DeleteI find myself shooting "arrow" prayers to God throughout my day, Cecelia, as well as setting time aside to spend with Him. My life is so much more rich and full because of His presence in it.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Martha Jane: I understand about the richness of our lives because of God being present in it. I had that experience just today. I can rejoice because of His presence in my life. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
DeleteThus ever on through life we find,
ReplyDeleteTo trust, O Lord, is best,
Who serve Thee with a quiet mind
Find in Thy service rest.
David: This is a beautiful verse. Thank you for sharing it. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
Delete