28 Days: Day 19

SCRIPTURE

• Romans 12:9-13 (NLT) 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.

OBSERVATION

Paul gives us some ways to truly deepen and protect our fellowship with believers. It starts with a commitment to do what is good and right. With that purposing of heart we are to love each other with genuine affection or love. We are to honor them. We are to pull our weight in the family and we are to work together with enthusiasm. Help those in need and be hospitable.

These things help us keep unity in the family.

UNDERSTANDING

God loves unity.  In fact it is so important that in the establishing of the church, God, in the New Testament gives more attention to unity of that church than either heaven or hell.Unity is at the heart of fellowship.  Without unity you destroy the body of Christ.  Without unity there is no fellowship and without fellowship there is no church.The Bible admonishes that we as believers are to make every effort to keep the fellowship of the church intact.  To be agents of unity, commissioned by Jesus to promote and preserve fellowship among believers.  In fact, there is the understanding that if you are causing disunity among the believers then you are in sin.  Anything that destroys unity and fellowship is sin. In the reading today two phrases really got my attention.Love each other with genuine affection.  What does it look like for us to love each other with genuine affection?  It would mean looking out for each other, not speaking badly of them and even when they frustrate us we are not dishonoring towards them with others.  And that is just a start.The other phrase that really struck me is, ”never be lazy, but work hard…”  I didn’t really think about it until I read it that when family members are not pulling their weight and helping it causes discord and disunity.  It wears down the ones who have to pick up the slack and causes there to be resentment.

LIFE APPLICATION

Today as you go to prayer will you ask God if you have been guilty of destroying unity and fellowship?  And when He shows you will you confess it to God and to His family so that there is healing for you and the family.