Romans 12:9 commands "Love must be sincere." I don't know about you, but in my human nature, I do not always fulfill this command to the best of my ability. I have a hard time letting go of things that have hurt me in the past and it can honestly affect the way I love someone. I'm also easily offended by those friends who only choose friendship with me when it is convenient for them; those who are not dedicated or understanding of the meaning of friendship/love (these 2 ideas are synonymous in this rant). So when I read that my love must be sincere, not only does that challenge me to take a step back and evaluate my love towards current people in my life, but it also makes me evaluate the kinds of people I have allowed to BE a part of my life. In other words, am I making good decisions? Am I surrounding myself with others who understand this concept of sincere love? I'm speaking primarily of my close relationships - not mere acquaintances. However, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to love them all the same.
In today's lesson with Beth Moore, she writes:
You and I are called to the real thing. God already knew that commanding us to love others sincerely would force the issue of heart change in those who truly desire to obey and please Him. While loving others God places in our paths will never cease to be challenging, the key is learning to draw from the resource of God's own agapeo love rather than our own small and selfish supply of natural phileo love (or fondness). God's chief goal is to deepen each of our relationships with Him. He knows that if we don't see our need for Him, we will never understand how sufficient and wonderful He is. Therefore, He continually challenges us to live beyond our natural abilities. God knows that challenges like loving someone we find difficult will place the obedient in the position to come to Him constantly for a fresh supply of His love."
In response to today's lesson, I asked myself one question: "I expect people to love me sincerely, but do I sincerely love them FIRST (or in return)?"
Practice sincere love!
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