Not Envious, But Genuine

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.  – Romans 12:10

It is sad to learn that someone you trusted, with whom you thought you shared a relationship of brotherly affection, turned their back on you for their own gain. Judas did that to Jesus – walking with Him for three years but offering Him up to the Jewish leaders in the end. A relationship lost to selfish motives. 

Romans 12 is Paul’s warning to the Christian believers that they are not immune to the evils of the devil. In fact, it is Satan’s desire to cause dissension among those who profess love for the Lord. The secular world is full of people who do not care about who they step on as they climb the ladder of success. Some in the Church have even lost sight of the reason for serving, desiring credit and recognition for what they do.  

Paul’s exhortation is a call for holy living in obedience to God’s Word, a call to put others before self, giving them honor, appreciation, and acknowledgment instead of envious rivalry. Let your love for others be as if they were your own family… because they are your family in Christ. Let your love be genuine, sincere, not merely of words, but with the same tenderness you have for a close family member. The virtue here is love covered in humility! 

There seems to be very little evidence of genuine love in the public arena today. Pray, then, that the love of believers who serve in federal, state, and local governments across this nation will stand firmly planted with humility of spirit, so their example will resonate in the hearts of those with whom they work.