Romans 12:9-10 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.
As we have progressed through this month’s theme of Friendship we have learned a lot about the love we should have for each other. In today’s verses we are again reminded to show love, this time emphasizing sincerity. Our love for one another should be genuine. The Message gives us a different translation that is a bit more expressive in meaning. “Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it…” We need to focus on how we can demonstrate God’s love in a meaningful way. In the CSB translation the term used is hypocrisy. It is interesting to note that hypocrisy comes from the world of acting. When applied to this verse on love we see we are to love sincerely and not pretend or act like we are loving.
In the next part of these verses we learn we are to hate what is evil. Some translations say abhor, others say detest, and the Message says to run away from. The Greek term means to dislike or have revulsion towards. As believers we need to hate what is evil. Never are we told to hate people, but we are called to hate sin. Instead we are to love them as God loves us, with a holy love.
The second half of that verse is to cling to what is good. In my mind the wording of “cling to” gives the impression of desperation. We cling to things we desperately want to hold close, to things we don’t want to lose. So we cling to what is good. We hate sin and cling to all that is good.
In the next verse we are told to be devoted to one another through our love. The definition of devotion is love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. Isn’t it interesting that the definition of devotion includes love? Devotion is an act of dedication to a cause – in this case the love of others. Paul then goes on to say we should honor others above ourselves. We are to show special recognition or treat them with admiration and respect. We esteem them over ourselves.
Paul gave us quite the list of commands in these two verses. Today spend some time thinking of how you can show sincere love for each of your friends and honor them. Ask God to show you ways you can set aside your own needs in order to meet the needs of others.
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