God Speaks
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
20 Instead,
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.”
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: In chapter 12, the Apostle Paul switches from preaching about all that God is and has done to telling believers in Christ how we ought to behave in response to this salvation He has secured for us. We should live holy lives–wholly dedicated to God. Then we will know that what He wants us to be and do is good, acceptable, and completely satisfying to us. First, we need an accurate and open assessment of ourselves (not puffed up or deflated) in relation to God and other people. We are new, changed people. Believers in Christ belong to and build up each other. We are all on the same team. Every member is essential and equally valuable–no superstars or mere benchwarmers. We have been adopted into the family and kingdom of the kindest, most generous, most forgiving person in existence. We are to faithfully represent Him to other people so that they will come and be adopted by Him as well. This representing God (not relying on our own strength and goodness, but on His flowing out through us) touches every area of human interaction: prophesying (proclaiming the unseen truth about the past, the present and the future); serving others; teaching; preaching God’s word; handling our own or others’ money or possessions; supervising the work of others; comforting, counseling, or advising others; truly caring for others; providing food and/or lodging for strangers; identifying with others in their emotions and circumstances. We should not do these things for show, but sincerely from a heart for God and for people–all people. No virtue signaling, shaming, or canceling. Our objective should be, “Don’t let evil win, but overcome evil with good.”
Consider the following questions regarding Romans 12:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God will avenge whatever evil His people may suffer, either in this life or in the next.
2. The whole chapter centers on how God’s people are to behave.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Romans 12?
Dear Father God, You have made every provision for me to be adopted into Your family through Jesus. You now call and empower me to be an ambassador for Your kingdom. Holy Spirit, please help me to do my part well and give You the credit. Please empower others to do their parts well also and to bring You glory. May Your fingerprints be recognized in every area of life. I look forward to this happening in every tongue, and tribe, and people-group and nation. Then we will have a brand-new world–heaven on earth. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Romans 12? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask God what special gifts and talents He has placed in my life and how He wants me to use them to bring glory to His name.
- I will ask counselors and/or take inventories to see how I could use these special gifts and talents to earn a living as well as serve people for God’s Kingdom.
- I will take courses or get on-the-job training to strengthen these skills and abilities. I want to strive for excellence, not settle for mediocrity.
- I will look for someone else I can encourage as well, in this area or something else that benefits people and glorifies God.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.