When I think about my friends, those people I get along with the best, I recognize a very similar behavior pattern in them all. They all value me and are willing to put me above themselves in their attitudes. They worry about my comfort when I visit; they are interested in my life when we talk.
This sounds so self-centered for me, but what we have are people who are showing genuine love and I happen to be one of those people fortunate enough to receive it. I hope they see the same attitudes in me.
In his letter to the Romans Paul gives instruction on expressing love to one another. What are all the attributes of loving one another? Verse 11 seems to address an attitude. What should our attitude be?
If we are going to claim to be Christians and part of the body of Christ, then we need to be able to love one another. And that affection we have must be real. It cannot be contrived, false, or insincere. As Paul says, “love must be sincere.”
That is the beginning. Now what? How do we express sincere love?
We do it by being devoted to one another, committed to supporting each other – such as accepting, teaching, forgiving one another. We do it by honoring one another, by not lording ourselves over the other and being willing to be teachable. We can share with each other and be hospitable, being willing to have fellowship with one another.
And we need to keep a Christian attitude. We should hate what is evil and focus on what is good. We should always have that spiritual fervor, that energy to share God’s love with others. We should serve the Lord with hope, patience and faithfulness, bringing joy to one another through the love we share.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Using these verse as a checklist, how many of these attributes and attitudes do you possess? How can you develop those you lack?
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