Paul wrote in Romans chapter 12 by THE SPIRIT:
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
As we mature in Love we will no longer pretend and be hypocritical in our walk. There are those who act like they are walking in Love but are really judgmental in their attitude. Paul would label them as hypocrites. As we take on the Character of Christ, our Love walk will become pure and genuine and we will truly cling to what it good and we will look for good in others rather than focus on each and every flaw we can find. Jesus stated in Matthew chapter 7:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
We must purpose not to judge for the old man uses worldly judgment to exalt himself. He would have you judge everyone else by their actions whereas you judge yourself by your intentions. People deceive themselves when they pick apart others in order to justify their own actions or views and Paul warns against such an attitude. Let our Love walk be pure.
We are to abhor, shun, and hate evil and it should not be found among us. We must cling to what is good and pure in the sight of FATHER. HE has provided us with HIS Book of instruction and it fully defines what is evil in HIS Sight. Evil will not be allowed in HIS Presence so we should not entertain evil for it will hinder our intimacy with HIM. FATHER casts evil into outer darkness so let’s not go there.
Are you devoted to Loving your brother and sister, preferring them over yourself? Do you honor others and give them preference over your own needs or do you exploit their kindness in order to fulfill something missing in your life. It doesn’t take long to determine whether a person is a giver or a taker. The “taker” is unfulfilled in their relationship with FATHER and they typically don’t want to change and be still before HIM. Instead they continue to feed their selfish desires and extract what they can from others. Their heart is never at peace and will not be until FATHER fills their void. When two people give preference to the other, they can enjoy ongoing fellowship. Otherwise, one will always be ministering to the other. Unity requires Love to be at the center of the relationship.
We must not be weary in well doing but renew ourselves daily. “Re-creating” is necessary and there is nothing wrong from taking a brake to rest and restore yourself. FATHER placed the seven day cycle in existence for a purpose. Six days of work are followed by a day of rest. That simple reality will serve you well if you purpose to truly rest on that seventh day. A day without the ongoing pressures exerted by the world will keep us fervent in our walk.
One way to practice hospitality is to invite your brother and/or sister over and simply cook a meal at home. There is an openness and intimacy in sitting at a table in the kitchen that is unachievable at a restaurant. This setting allows us to minister to the needs of others without interference. As we mature in our Love walk, it becomes a joy to minister to others in this quiet setting.
Being diligent requires us to be disciplined and reliable. What would we think if FATHER were unreliable with HIS Promises? Oops, I guess the law of gravity didn’t work today! No, FATHER is unchanging and fully reliable and that should be what we aspire to as well. As we focus on the higher ways of FATHER we will no longer be moved by the worldly pressures and related emotions. Our focus will be on HIM rather than the circumstances. In this state we will truly be fervent in spirit and fully serve FATHER.
Paul sets the standard for our daily mandate and once the standard is there for us to see, we can assess our level of maturity. Am I a giver or a taker? Do I contribute to others’ needs or do I constantly expect others to fulfill me in some manner? There are times we must look in the mirror and make a critical assessment of ourselves so that we can make the necessary corrections in our daily lives. Let us fulfill our daily walk in Love, devotion, diligence, and perseverance.