Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.* Do not be conceited.
*or, willing to do menial work.
We continue to struggle today with this simple instruction: Don’t be conceited. Don’t ignore people who do not have the things that you have, or do the things that you do. Why is this so hard for us? In Jesus’ day, everyone lived more or less together- at least in terms of distance. In a town, the poor probably lived in one area, which was less costly for them. Jesus was able to walk from one “neighborhood” to the other, and he modeled this humility for the disciples and all those who were watching him. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, we see that this “segregation” was in no way unique. It is our job to move past these ancient habits, and to be truly humble. We are to be friends with each other, no matter our differences. We are not “better” because of what we have; we can be “better” by being humble.
Holy Lord, help me to live with humility, and never allow differences with others to separate me from them. Show me ways to live out these words, Lord. Amen
Becky, transforming
Monday September 23rd, 2023
Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, , but be willing to associate with people of lower position. Do not be conceited.
We are called to disciples and not just the ones who are easy, but also the hurting ones. The hurt might be self-inflicted, or due to an illness, personal, financial, or relational loss or a number of other reasons. Regardless of the reason, Romans 12 is a beautiful road map for humility while walking with the hurting or who have very little in their lives.
I try to let my love for others be genuine, not artificial or forced. I love being the first for greeting people in our church. Making eye…
Romans 12:16
This reminds me of my experience at a men’s retreat at Camp Monadnock this past Friday and Saturday. There were 51 men, ranging in age from 20s to 80s from every background imaginable. We slept four to six to a room. Worship time was the definitive proof our background, job (or lack of a job), education, etc. were irrelevant to our experience as brothers in Christ, coming before the Lord, seeking to move further along the long road of sanctification. The sound of this many men singing like they mean what they’re singng was inspiring. While some went home to worship in their home churches with an environment not unlike we enjoyed at the retreat, others came home…