by Kaysi Hastings
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
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| image from The Kirbas Institute |
Romans 15:4-7
We read in John these words of Jesus: "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) For most of my life I thought people would recognize me as a follower of Jesus primarily by my abstinence from certain words or behaviors, not by my love for others. I also believed my personal relationship with God was the singular most important part of my faith. That is a crucial element of it, to be sure. I've come to realize, though, that Christianity is much more comprehensive than that. It is not about me, and it's only partly about my individual relationship with God. It is much more so about bringing God glory with every aspect of my life, and one of the primary ways I am called to do this is by loving and sharing the blessings I've received with others, regardless of our differences.
When I examine my life, I see a million ways in which I fall short of living the love-driven life God created me to live. And yet He has welcomed me with open arms and loved me unconditionally through all my failures. The most challenging and formative experiences in my ongoing transformation toward Christ-likeness have had little to do with what words I do or don't say, what drinks I partake of or abstain from, what lines I draw in romantic relationships, and how many hours I spend tucked away reading my Bible and praying. I'm not saying these things aren't important, but the most formative experiences for me have been those in which I've made the difficult decision to extend love and grace to someone who has frustrated or hurt me. The funny thing is, when love informs our decisions, those other boundary lines comes as a natural by-product of putting someone else's best interests above our own. I think this is what Paul had in mind when he said "the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Galatians 5:14)
In the early church, Jews and Gentiles had to embrace the challenge of looking beyond their differences in order to love one another and live in harmony for the sake of God's glory. We, too, face this challenge today on a thousand different levels. Each day we must ask ourselves, "How can I welcome this person as Christ welcomed me, for the glory of God?"
Take some time to consider the following. Perhaps it would be helpful to record your responses in a journal.
What are some failures in your life, whether one-time events or general attitudes and behaviors, that God has generously forgiven? What things make it difficult for you to "welcome" others? What is one thing you can change in order to exhibit a more welcoming attitude toward people you find it challenging to love and accept?
Here is a prayer in response to today's text. You can pray this as your own or use it as a prompt for a spontaneous prayer.
Father, You have been endlessly gracious with the shortcomings in my life and have welcomed and embraced me as Your child in spite of my frequent failures to glorify You by reflecting Your love. Grant me the grace to exercise patience and forgiveness with those who frustrate or hurt me, recognizing that we ALL are broken. May my life increasingly be an extension of Your unconditional love and grace, that others may recognize that You welcome all to know and follow You.
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