Scripture: Romans 15:4-13 (NRSV)
DEVOTIONAL:
What does love really look like? Jesus Christ is God’s perfect image of love. Jesus befriended even the lowliest. He was a friend to sinners. God calls us to “glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” with “one heart and mouth.” We are stronger united as followers of Christ Jesus; lifting and building each other up, challenging each other and holding each other accountable. God calls us to love one another to build this unity within his kingdom.
By giving our time, thoughts and affections to God, we become more in tune with his will, becoming more like Christ. Following Christ’s ultimate example of love, we can begin to share that love with others, building relationships and community. I believe vulnerability within relationships is one of the greatest acts of love. It is at our most vulnerable moments that God stretches us the most.
How can we be healed and set free from our strongholds if we never allow ourselves to deal with them? We can be so quick to push away our burdens and forget about them. We no longer feel like they are hurting us because we aren’t dealing with them directly. Without even realizing it Satan can take those hurts and struggles and use them to pull us down and pull us away from what God has planned. Until we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with ourselves and with others, we can never truly be set free. Confrontation and reconciliation within ourselves and with others sets us free and leads to relationships overflowing with deep love and understanding that only comes from God. Trust in God to lift those strongholds from your heart. He will bring you peace and joy.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Scripture: Romans 15:4-13 (NRSV)
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; 10and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.”
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.