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| Share Agape for the week of May 26th, 2003 |
| It's All About Agape |
| Romans 12:12-21 "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse�Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud. Be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written�`If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." |
| There are so many excellent nuggets in this short section of Romans! I especially like the verse: "Practice hospitality." It reminds me that there's never an excuse not to be hospitable. It's so easy to say, "Oh, I barely have enough to feed my family! How can I have company over?" But God *commands* us to be hospitable. With everyone. It's the love we're giving, not the food or drink, that's most important. (So, a messy house doesn't count as an excuse not to have folks over, either!) I don't know about you, but this one Biblical verse is inspiring more summer backyard pot lucks than I've had in a while! I find it interesting that Paul includes some words about revenge in this passage. First, he reminds us to "do what is right in the eyes of everybody." Initially, this may seem crazy. After all, Paul was an aggressive missionary�something that a lot of people didn't like or think was right. But I believe what he's getting at is this: We shouldn't do anything that might make someone think, "Humph!So much for Christians! They're just liars (bigots, greedy, lustful...) like the rest of the world! Guess I don't need their God!" It's amazing how one small act can turn someone away from Christ. The joy, however, is that one small act can also bring someone a step closer to Him. It's our choice. So while a Christian might use a word like "fag," and in his own mind know that he doesn't hate homosexuals, the use of that word is still wrong. Why? Because listeners are likely to hear it and assume it's spoken out of hate�and therefore assume that Christ is just another phony. Being grumpy, talking behind someone's back in a negative fashion, being overly critical, not being considerate of others, being neglectful (to our families, our friends and acquaintances, and to our bodies), and so many other "little" things we have a tendency to do, can all push others away from God. The way we reflect Christ is a huge responsibility for Christians, and one that we can't take lightly. The section ends with one of my favorite passages. Paul echoes Christ's command to love our enemy and do him good. "In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Pardon me for laughing at that last sentence. I can't help it, because it's so true! In my life, I've found that loving someone who considers me their enemy has done one of two things: 1. Softened their hearts and made them a little happier person. (And brought them a step closer to Christ�People, after all, judge Christ by the way Christians behave.) 2. Or�made them nuts Well, either way, it works out pretty well :) But what do hospitality and lack of revenge have to do with each other? The answer is love�or, as older translations of the Bible put it, agape (pronounced A-gah-PAY). It's an ancient Greek word created to describe a very special kind of love: the unconditional love of God. Agape is also the flavor of love God commands Christians to give to others. (Have you given any agape lately?) And that brings me to this week's recommendation: Please take the time to read the book The Way of Agape, by Chuck and Nancy Missler. This book will change your life, if you haven't already discovered how to allow God's agape work through you. It not only offers Biblical references about agape, but gives practical advice on how to achieve it. If you can't afford to buy the book, see if it's available at your local library. And if they don't have it, ask the librarian to get it for you through the inter-library loan (which is free, or nearly so). This is a "must read!" |
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