Monday, April 14 - Romans 12:9-13

For the next few days, we'll be taking a look at Romans 12, because it has a lot of thought-provoking stuff to say about how we should treat one another.

I could write a lot about each of these verses, but I am going to narrow my thoughts down to 2 particular verses. "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." We can really apply this to all of our decisions, but I want to specifically see what these verse means for our relationships. I know from experience that I have a hard time seeing the good in a person or in a relationship when I have been hurt. True for you, too? For this reason, in part, I think it is easy for us to abandon the relationship altogether, because we see no good and no value in it. What would happen if the next time we were hurt, we hated evil but clung to what is good? Example: Jill told some other people something you had told her in confidence, but she was also the only friend that really stood by you when your parents were getting divorced. What if you hated the gossip, but you clung to the love and support she showed you in tough times ? Do you think it might be easier to dig deep and find forgiveness for that person? Just a thought.

This ties in with verse 10, which states that we are to be "devoted" to one another in "brotherly love." Unfortunately, I think very few of us have experienced or shown this kind of devotion. As I said earlier, when we are hurt by one friend, it's often easier to just move on to a new friend. We have all grown up in a culture of divorce- whether we've experienced it ourselves or have supported a friend through it- and we hate it for how it robs us, wounds us, and scars us. And yet, as much as we hate it, we're already practicing it every time we give up on a friend. The very thing that we despise is seeping into our friendships. And not only are you and your friends hurt every time you go through it, but you miss out on ever experiencing depth in a friendship. When your friendships only last a few months, you never give them a chance to take root, and so all you have are shallow relationships and friends who don't REALLY have your back.

So how do we reverse the cycle of friendship divorce? We commit to working through our struggles and hurts together rather than moving on so quickly. This will probably involve a bit of effort and some difficult conversations. But knowing that you have a friend that will stick by you through thick and thin is worth it.

K, those are just a couple of thoughts for now. Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment (THANKS BRIT AND MOE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS :)

We love you. We're here for you.

Pastor Courtney