Kindness!

Kindness!

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Romans 12:10 KJV

The Inspiration:

Again, the need to sort out my identity and personality is emphasized in today's verse. The start of the chapter from where the verse above is taken lays emphasis on presenting my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. This is the class of people that the verse above is speaking to. I have to first internalise the requirement before I can submit to the demand. What you get when the order is not followed is chaos, hypocrisy and selfish interests. No one can follow God's demands simply by willpower alone; the devil will fight for as long and as hard as he can to keep me from looking unto Jesus for strength and for direction. God has supplied all I need to live right and to do right. He supplies fresh grace on a daily basis, and I must go to Him on a daily basis to reload and refresh. 

The Expectation:

Yesterday's supply isn't enough for today. The issues of yesterday will not always be the same today or tomorrow. The person who was nice today may not be nice tomorrow. That's why I must settle my response or reaction long before the need to respond arises. Love does not wait for the target to be deserving; in fact, love is better appreciated when the person being loved has done nothing to deserve it. That's me, before I came to know Christ, who showed me love even before I was born. His sacrifice on the cross enables me to experience love firsthand, and then helps me extend the same grace to other people. You cannot give what you don't have and you cannot fake it either. At some point, the pressure of pretence will tell, and the real self will be revealed. I take stock again today: who am I?

The Conclusion:

A man who has encountered God does not need to be first in anything. He knows that with God's backing, there is nothing that will be impossible for him/her. A man who has encountered God will not seek glory or prosperity for self, but will seek the glory and honour of God in all things and at all times. A man who has encountered God has the mind of God, and can see other people with the eyes of God. This personal encounter with God is critical to the entire verse. Don't place a demand for love from a man who has not laid his life on the altar. Don't demand self-control from a man who is still in control of his own life. The love of God in a man's heart makes the whole verse above possible. Does the above describe me in any way? Do I need total surrender of my life to God today? He waits for me. God's time of favour is here.