Title: What Does Love Look Like?/Topic: Love

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 16; Proverbs 17; Proverbs 18; Romans 12

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 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. 20 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." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Observation: Poems, stories, songs and prose have all extolled the virtues and heartaches of love, but these verses tell us what love looks like when lived out in a practical manner by people of faith. I want to focus on just a few items out of the lengthy description in this section. Part of love is to hate what is evil (v.9). Not all behavior is accepted or tolerated. Another aspect of love is the responsibility I have to keep my spiritual fervor or zeal (v.11). If I see myself getting apathetic spiritually, I am not demonstrating God's love in my life and need to repent and stir up the gifts within me. Love recognizes that even with my best efforts, it may not be possible to live peaceably with everyone (v.18) but that I must make all effort to do so. Love doesn't take revenge but let's God have control of doling out judgment (v.19).

Application: It would be good to read this section of the Word often to see if my behavior is lining up with this practical and full-orbed definition of love. If we all adhered to such a way of life there would be no wars in the world, prisons would be empty and families would be whole and happy.

Prayer: Father, help me to be one who puts “flesh” on love in the way described in these verses. May I honor you by showing forth your goodness. I leave it to you to repay evil and judge the guilty. Help me to be one who overcomes evil with good.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.