Love and Humility, Part 4

By Jerolyn Bogear

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

Zeal is not a word we use much in our present-day language. The definition for zeal is: "fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor." Desire is "a strong want;" diligence is "never stopping till you get the object of your desire."

Fervor is another unusual word. It means: "Intense heat."

So according to this verse, we are never to stop diligently pursuing the desire of our heart (the Father) and to maintain a spiritually intense heat in the process of serving our Lord.

In our instant gratification, short-term society, we have a really hard time with long-term commitments. Often we become tired or bored and take our eyes off the goal. If it takes too long to get to the goal, it just doesn't seem to be worth it. Too many other things in our life can be achieved quickly and with less effort..... But those things are empty and worthless.

Serving the Lord -- done with passion for Him and accomplished through His strength -- is the only worthwhile thing we will ever do on this earth. The Master has called us to fight and work and serve and love. Are we going to get tired? Yes. Are there going to be disappointments along the way? Yes. But our goal is not in this life, but the next. We must press on and fight the good fight.

Then Paul uses verses 12-21 to tell us just how to serve the Lord. We serve Him through joy, patience, prayer. We help the needy. We treat our enemies different than the world. We laugh with the happy, and cry with those who are sad. We keep the peace. We live and love in humility.

So march on with zeal and fervor. Never back down from your calling -- a servant of the Almighty!

Love and Humility, Part 3

by Jerolyn Bogear

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ~Romans 12:10

When looking up the Greek meaning for "devoted," it is not just a loyalty or friendly kind of action. Rather, a devoted love is like the love of a parent/child or a husband/wife. It is being devoted to one another to the point of sacrifice.

Christ demonstrated his sacrificial love in the greatest form possible and he did it for friend and enemy. How then can we be devoted to one another in our lives on a day-to-day basis? What are our sacrifices?

Probably the greatest sacrifice we can without actually dying is of our time. The most important one is taking the time to pray for one another. Lifting each other up to the Father -- standing in one another's stead petitioning His grace, mercy and guidance for that person. I could ask nothing greater of those who care for me.

But then we can perform acts of devotion in a physical way -- a phone call, and note, running an errand, standing by them in their grief or celebration, offering a smile, a word of support, a listening ear, praying together, sharing God's revelations. Are we taking the time to offer these acts of love?

We can look at this backward too. Devotion and honoring others above ourselves may be through an act of receiving love. It takes humility to let others know we are struggling and need help. Receiving help demonstrates that you love those giving it.

Love and Humility, Part 2

by Jerolyn Bogear

Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9b

Do I really hate what is evil? The Greek word for "hate" means to abhor or to be in horror of. Does evil horrify me? I think I have become desensitized to the horror of evil. It is so prevalent around me I would either have to walk around with blinders on or move to an isolated property in the mountains to escape it. (Okay, the second option wouldn't be so bad:)

Evil is not going to go away until Christ returns and the enemy is forever cast away. So if I am going to be a follower of Jesus Christ and live with Him as my Lord, then I cannot tolerate the things that are contrary to him to exist within me. And the best way to do that is the second half of the sentence -- cling to what is good. I love the Greek for "cling." To glue together, cement, fasten together. I must grab onto what is good and right with all my might like we are stuck together with glue -- or better yet, cement. I want to be so held together with good that it would take a jackhammer to separate us.

So what things am I to cling to? "Good" things are:

1. of good constitution or nature
2. useful, salutary
3. good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy
4. excellent, distinguished
5. upright, honourable

Today, these are the things I will choose to align my life with. I will sincerely love all PEOPLE, but abhor anything that is EVIL to God and cling with all my might to those things that are HONORABLE and UPRIGHT.

Lord, open my eyes and transform me.

Love and Humility, Part 1

by Jerolyn

The FAM1 was talking a lot about humility this last weekend. In light of it being 40 Days of Love, I've chosen to share a few posts on Romans 12:9-16. Go figure, I just "happened" to be there in my personal reading and God stopped me dead in my tracks. So I'm just going to go phrase by phrase. Please weigh in on your thoughts.

Love must be sincere. Romans 12:9a

The New American Standard says, "without hypocrisy." The Greek translates it as a love that must be "unfeigned, undisguised." When I see the word "hypocrisy," I instantly think about the Pharisees and Jesus' diatribe against their hypocrisy in Matthew 23. I do not want to be accused of that kind of love. Neither do I want to practice it.

I want my love to be "true" or "genuine" -- sincere. I was looking up the original meaning of the word, "sincere." You may have heard the story before, but the original meaning is "without wax." Often pottery makers, bricklayers, marble artisans, etc. would fill cracks in their creations with wax to cover the imperfections. The problem was that when the product was under heat, the wax would melt and the imperfections would be visible. Sometimes even the integrity of the piece would break down.

Is our love for others "without wax?" Are we living sincerely with everyone -- no hypocrisy? It's a question that takes some pondering. Who do I not sincerely love? And what is the evidence of my insincerity? Insincerity will eventually surface -- especially when the heat is turned up in the relationship.

I know that not everyone is easy to love. But I must surrender my biases and allow the love of Christ to fill me with so much love for others that I don't need wax. My love is truly genuine and sincere and complete.

Lord, fill me now. Let there be no room for insincerity in my heart. Teach me to love as You love and use me as Your vessel to love others. Amen.