Week 3 (cont'd): "Sincere Love"

Romans 12:9-21: When I read this passage, I reflected on what was said about loving your enemies and I was reminded of something my Mama always said about how to treat someone you knew didn't like you: "Kill 'em with kindness." But I knew that is not what this scripture is telling us to do. We have to show them kindness and it must be sincere. As I read the footnote she provided about hospitality, I immediately thought about "Southern hospitality". As Southern women, we are always supposed to be gracious to guests . . . Offer them something to drink (preferably some sweet tea), feed them a delicious home-cooked meal followed by decadent home-made desserts, all the while doting on their every whim and just being "as sweet as pie".

In contrast, the hospitality that this scripture is talking about is Christian hospitality and not entertaining. I like how the footnote suggests that hospitality can occur in a messy house or around a table where canned soup is being served. Christian hospitality has nothing to do with presentation and everything to do with the motives of that hospitality. They must be sincere! Now the epitome of a Southern woman MAY take in her enemy and feed them and "kill 'em with kindness", but would probably not have a sincere motive. But the epitome of a Christian woman will feed her enemy and give him something to drink and pray for him and not be vengeful.

Now on the morning of Day 4, I did my devotional in the morning as usual and it was centered around Psalm 131.

My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

After I read it, I immediately thought about Hebrews 5:12-14 (from Week 1 Day 4) because of the image of the soul being like a weaned child. I couldn't remember the exact verse at the time, but remembered the comparison of milk and solid food to our level of spiritual maturity and how we are being fed. I also thought about the previous evening's study into Romans 12:9-21, and made a note in my journal to compare all 3 scriptures in that evening's study.

Imagine my delight when I opened up Jen's book and saw that the cross-reference for Romans 12:16 ("do not be conceited") was Psalm 131! When I originally had read the Psalm, I thought the part about not being proud or haughty to mean that there are some things that are a part of God's purpose that we are not meant to understand. But when I compared it to v. 16 in Romans 12, I felt a little differently about it. The verse in Romans is telling us to not be too proud to "associate with people of low position."

So what I ultimately took away from the study of this scripture is this: We have all had an experience where we felt like we were out of our league. Maybe with a group of people who were smarter, richer, more sophisticated, etc., than us. We must realize that we may find ourselves in the company of someone who feels that way about us. We must not be too proud of what we know and understand because we certainly don't know it all, even if we have been weaned from the milk (Psalm 131:2 and Hebrews 5:12-14). We may be more spiritually mature than some individuals, but to show them sincere love, we must never show ourselves to be too proud of this.

(Sorry this is sooooo long, but this week was really good for me!)