Romans 12:10 KJV
[10] Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
We continue to lay emphasis on the lifestyle choices expected from someone who has declared to be a follower of Christ. At the very start of the chapter from where the verse above is taken, we read the immortal words of Paul to the church in Rome, where the right e experience was to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, as a reasonable service. He went on to charge them not to be conformed to this world: but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that they could establish what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. This audience definitely defines the expectation and the demand. Once I have come to know what God expects, it is right for me to seek it so that I can lay hold of that which God has promised to all who align with His command. If I do not do what He commands, how would I be bold to make a claim on his benefits?
The requirement in the verse above is to be kindly affectioned one to another. For the people who are addressed here, as we have laid out above, it is mutual affection, and not a one-way street. It also means that there is no pretence or hypocrisy in the relationships being discussed; everyone is able to show affection without it being misinterpreted, and everyone in need of support or encouragement is able to get it without a price attached. I would also note that if we get it internally, there is no way we will not also get it externally. This is love as defined by God, not the tepid, transactional version of it that the world shows us in movies and in songs. It is true love that reaches out, not minding the other person's reaction, but still showing it all the same. It is love that watches out for the other person's interests as well as progress, with no desire to be 'ahead or better' than the other person.
It is not a competition to see who is better, or who has more, but to see how God can be made known to all. As a child of God, I do not see myself as indispensable, but as someone who is privileged to be the reflection of God's grace and mercy. I do not have a point to prove to anyone; I just have a loving Father to show off to everyone. I do not have a need to point men to myself; I just need to point them in the direction of the God who has saved and placed me where I am to impact lives. I can honour men in my life, because what I am focused on is the power and presence of God in them. I can place men over and above me if need be, because the God I serve rewards men not on the basis of position but on the basis of submission to Him. That is the way the world will see the difference between its pursuits and the Life that is in God. That is the difference I have been gifted, planted and fitted to make in my present generation. What of you? God's time of favour is here.
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