Thursday Reading: Romans 13:8-10
Key Verse: Romans 13:8
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law.
Devotion:
As Christians we really do need to think about how we live... We need to take note of the first phrase of this verse – we need to “owe no one anything”. Granted there are times where we do have to borrow something in order to live, but there must always be a desire to be able to pay back all that has been given to you. We are struggling through a financial crisis at the moment that seems to have been caused by people borrowing far more than they could pay back and the result is depression (and rather depressing for everyone else). Our lives are the same, not just with finances, but with spiritual and social gifts too; not forgetting love.
The one thing that separates us from everything else is our ability to love but with that comes an ability to hate as well – the result of the lack of love. Just as we have the wherewithal to know how much we should borrow and how much we can pay back, we have the ability to know how much we should be able to depend on others. Taking more than we give can look like we are robbing others – just as it looks in the financial world. We need to be aware that the more that we take, the more we have to be willing to give as well. The more love we are willing to give, the more others will allow us to give and take.
God has given us the commandments so that we can know what is right and what is wrong. The commandments remind us to stay clear of things like adultery, murder, theft and lust so that we can continue to love. If we get caught up in our sins we lose the ability to love as much as we should. Love and sin cannot work together because they are opposites. If we are willing to show God that we are ready to love Him and to love all of His creation, then we have moved a step closer to Him. He wants to show us His love for us too – that means that we have to be close to Him to start with. He does not want to lend us His love, but to give it to us knowing that we will give that same love to others too. With love as our focus we will learn to live properly with Him in our lives.
Points to Ponder:
Do you like giving things to people?
Do you know how much God likes giving things to you?
