If your enemy is hungry...

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;  if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

As I read thru verses 20 and 21 of Romans 12 I ask myself the question, "Who would I consider my enemy?"  It’s a great thing to consider.  Maybe it’s a neighbor whose dog barks at all hours of the night.  Possibly a co-worker has continually slighted you at work and maybe even taken credit for your hard work or thrown you under the bus for something they did or didn’t do and placed the blame on you.  If you really think about it maybe you might say it’s the Islamic extremists or the unstable individuals that threaten our health and safety.

If we can identify our "enemies,"Paul quoting wise king Solomon tells us to love on them.  So, the best question to contemplate this morning is this:  "How can I love those that I have identified as my enemies?" One of the ways to love on them is to look and see what they need.  Are they “hungry” or "thirsty?" How can you respond to evil in a loving way?

I love the way that Paul sees as the only way to combat evil, and he would know for previously he had been the violent Christian killer.  Jesus had taught him that the only way to overcome evil is with good.

So, today don’t react in a worldly way of meting out an eye for eye, but instead as Jesus commanded us all in Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  If you want to explore this further read Luke 6.

-Sheldon Jefferson, Junior High Pastor

Do Something

Hi, my name is Alex and I’m a holy huddler. I love doing Bible studies with other Christians. I love being in community with people who are like me and have the same interests. I went to seminary because I enjoy learning about the character of God and the history of Christianity. My natural happy place is sprawled out on my couch and reading a good book, Christian or fiction.

I think all of these things are good! I think Jesus would high-five me for liking all of these things. I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to learn more about God or wanting to place myself amongst Christians who desire to become more like Christ.

As a holy huddler though, I have taken good things and indulged in them too much. I am too inclined to live a life of comfort where I am simply sure of the black and white world I have created for myself. I have learned all the right answers to what the Christian life looks like, but the power of the gospel is still in the process from moving from my head to my heart to my hands.

I am naturally inclined to turn the gospel into a story about how much Jesus loves me, how he died for my sins, and how the Father has sent the Holy Spirit to transform my life and act as my counselor. While these things are all true, my view of the gospel is way too narrow. The gospel is not just about the hope for my life but it is about the hope for everyone.

My brain tells me that I should go and share this good news with everyone! Go tell the world “Jesus loves you!” And yet my brain also tells me that the people around me that have not accepted Jesus as their savior will not do it because I tell them Jesus loves them. In fact my own experiences have taught me that speaking words does not make them true. Words are ways to communicate past or potential action! It is not the state of mind that matters but it is actions that come from it.

Having recently gotten married I have learned that only telling my wife “I love you” a thousand times does not communicate my love for her as much as when I make her dinner, fully engage in listening about how her day was, or even making the bed (I’m working on it). Romans 12:14-21 is packed full of actions that communicate to a broken world how the love of Jesus is practical and how I am a conveyer of that love by the way I act towards everyone, not just other Christians.

Bless those who curse you. That means I finds ways to love the people who make me the maddest.

Weep with those who weep. That is not a disposition of my heart were am I just sad for people. It means I am amongst the hurting and the broken and I cry with them because it hurts to see them hurting.

Do not be proud but associate with the lowly. Anytime I find myself looking down on someone (which is arrogance), my response should be to look for how I can show them love by spending time with them or taking care of their needs (without looking for anything in return!).

This whole passage of scripture is bursting with actions of how to take the gospel from my head to my heart to my hands. Acting on what I believe. Sacrificing my desires for the opportunity to show the love of Christ.

My name is Alex and I’m a holy huddler, but I’ve been called to be the hands and feet of Christ in a broken world.

-          Alex Berger, High School Pastor

What if it All Depended On You...

As I pray and linger over Romans 12:14-21 my eye is continually drawn to the phrase, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." I think the reason this sentence strikes a chord with me is because through the counseling ministry we teach this concept, except we call it; Personal Responsibility.

Personal Responsibility refers to the idea that regardless of the situation or circumstance we find ourselves in, we will mindfully choose to examine our own thoughts, actions and reactions as opposed to the thoughts, actions and reactions of others. Instead of concentrating on what others have said and done, we reflect on what we have said and done. Rather than pointing the finger at the failings of others, we look inward and examine our own heart and motive. Jesus himself explained this same model that Paul is teaching here in Romans when he said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5).

As many of you know, I co-counsel with a pretty handsome and wise man. Recently in a counseling session he made a statement that I have not yet forgotten. We were talking with a couple about Personal Responsibility and he said to them, “I want you to assume that the success of this relationship solely depended on you.” It got me to thinking…what if we all assumed that same motto in our relationships? What if a wife said, it all depends on me. What if a husband said, it all depends on me. What if an employee said, it all depends on me. What if a Christ follower said, it all depends on me. What if we quit repaying evil for evil, what if we did our best to live at peace? What if we did not retaliate with vengeance? What if we did not allow the ways of the world into our heart, but rather lived a transformed life by loving, and clinging to what was good. What if we thought of others more than our self, honored one another, and served one another? What if we gave up our rights to be first or in control? What would our relationships look like then, and would they be any different?

Remember what Romans 12:1 says? We are to offer our bodies as “living sacrifices.” I’m not saying this way of life is pain free, and I’m certainly not saying it’s the easier way. In fact, I’ll just say it…this standard of living is hard work. Dying to one’s self is never pleasurable. But, if we continue reading we see that this lifestyle is holy and pleasing to whom? God! And, not only that, Paul says, “it is our true and proper worship.” It’s exactly what God expects and wants us to do.

Consider this: I can’t control the thoughts, actions or behaviors of others and neither can you. Yet, we waste so much time and energy trying to do so. The truth is, only God can change people. However, what if the change needed was suppose to begin with you? What if God only needs one person to start the revolution? What if your godly behavior began to influence those around you; your spouse, children, neighbors, coworkers? What if God had a plan to soften and transform the hearts of others, but he needed and wanted you to go first? Would you be willing to live out Romans 12, and practice humility and sincere love? Would you be the hands and feet, arms or legs that God needed to minister to others?

Read it with me one more time, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Let me ask you a final question…What if change depended on you?

Blessings,

Christy Garison, Serve Minister

Harmony

Wow, this passage is a difficult one.  Bless those who persecute you.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge.  These things are easy to read and maybe easy to imagine putting into practice, but really hard to actually do so.  We learn from a young age to fight back – to take back that toy or push or hit right back when hurt.  And really if we’re honest we don’t change much as adults – that is, without God’s help.  When we’re mistreated, we want the world to hear it.  When we’re slandered or wronged, we want to give that hurt right back – maybe even several times worse.

But this is not the way of Jesus.  There can’t be a stronger image of Romans 12:14-21 than the horribly bloodied, bruised and spat upon face of Jesus saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).  No one would have more right to revenge than the crucified Jesus, yet He sets the example.  He truly overcame evil with good and now calls all his disciples to this difficult path as well.  Personally I have a long way to go on this one.  Maybe you do, too.

Romans 12:16 calls us to “live in harmony with one another.”  In music, good harmony can be difficult to achieve but is so rewarding and remarkable.  When a band is together in pitch, in tempo, in feel, in dynamics, it will move its audience every time.  When two or more vocals are so tightly in sync that even the slightest  movement or expression is matched, every hearer will be in awe and take note.  God wants harmony in His church and from His people.  To make good harmony we have to let someone else sing lead and adjust our own personal expression to match that leader.  The best harmonizers in life are the most unselfish of persons – and most likely living out Romans 12:14-21.  Commit yourself this day to the forgiving way of Jesus and do all you can to make harmony with those around you.  God, let it be so. 

 
- Jeremi, the older, shorter music guy (but described by my wife as ruggedly handsome)

Action/Reaction

Paul begins this section with a strong statement in v14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...” He fortifies that thought again in v17, “ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” Just as they do today, these statements also ran counter cultural in Paul’s day. The normal human reaction to any hurtful word or action has always been to strike back with at least as much if not more force; especially if we feel we’ve been justifiably wronged. “Bless and do not curse?” Really? But think about this; the times you’ve given in to negative reaction, how did it work out for you? Did it end well? Were relationships restored? And most of all was Christ glorified? Probably not.
 

Many times in counseling I work with people on an exercise I like to call “Action/Reaction.” I use it when couples or individuals have issues with conflict resolution or anger. When someone says an unkind or hurtful word to us, (or perhaps someone cuts us off in traffic) our initial response is to use what I call a twisted version of Newton’s Law:  For every negative action, there is an equal or more hurtful reaction. (Yes I made that up) This method is not only an unhealthy relationship practice, it can also be deadly. When we hear stories about “road rage” gone wrong it is often because someone reacted very negatively to a traffic issue that could otherwise have been avoided. 

Through this exercise, I try to help people understand that the actions of life are unavoidable; there will always be someone to “persecute” us with words, to make rude gestures or treat us unfairly. Sadly enough it is usually by those closest to us. But how we choose to react to those situations can make the difference between having a stronger relationship or cleaning up a trail of collateral damage. 

Culture tells us to strike back, to retaliate when we are wronged, but when we look deeply into Romans 12 we see that being reactive actually runs counter to the “Transformed” life we’re being called to. We are instructed to not conform to the ways and patterns of this world. Difficult? You bet! But it is a part of the process of a spiritually transformed life.

Brothers and sisters, we are called to a higher road, a more profound way of life. We are called toward a transformed life of faith in action. Let’s guard against those reactive habits and allow the Spirit of God to transform us into the salt and light that God wants us to be.

P.S. Did this blog get a reaction out of you? I hope so. :)

- Jimmy Garison, Family Care Pastor

What's Really Important?

What a week!  Traveling through Romans 12 has been quite a journey for me.  I have felt challenged, encouraged, convicted, as well as many other emotions as I have read and reread these passages.  I hope the same is true for you.

This week I have felt a strong passion that is forcing me to immediate action.   As I read Romans 12:9-13 over and over, the thought that Paul is clearly outlining how a Christian should conduct themselves sent my mind directly to my kids.  Our children are always measured by their conduct, at school they receive grades, on the sports field they receive awards or consequences, they are always being taught expectations of behavior through the systems around them.  So, I started thinking, “I reinforce good behaviors and conduct based on the worldly standards, but do I take time to teach and reinforce the expectations of a Christian?”   Each time their report card comes home we talk about their conduct grades, but how often do I take time to talk about what Paul has outlined here?  My husband and I want to instill in them a love of God so these behaviors naturally flow from them.  But have we communicated it clearly, in both our words and our actions?  This compelled me to write them a letter and share my heart for them:

Dear Emma, Gavin, and Reed,

Your dad and I pray that you discover what an amazing God we have and love Him with all of your heart.  We hope you always say what you truly feel, be sincere in your words and actions.  Stay away from evil things and hold tight to what is good.  Strive to love others before yourself, even those who don’t want to be loved or are hard to love at times.  Live a life of passion, always learning and growing in Christ.  Never be too prideful to learn something new.  Please know in times of challenge and heartache God’s plan is good and we have the hope of being with Him for eternity, these hard times are fleeting.  Mommy often struggles with learning to be patient in times of challenge, but God’s timing is not always ours and His plan is far better than one we could create in haste, so wait patiently in all things.  Reach out to God.  He is always there.  Fill your life with prayer and not always the ones with you talking, but sit opened to hear Him speak back to you.   In every part of your life help those in need, help your fellow Christian in times of emotional, spiritual, and physical troubles, and if you don’t know how ask God to reveal it to you.   Lastly, open your arms and let people in, open your doors and share your heart with others.  Serve them, welcome them, tend to them.  Make new friendships and cultivate the old.  Never let the business of life or the fear of what others think stop you from this.  I love you more than you can ever imagine, and God loves you even more than that.  Put your love into action and live a life for others. It is not always easy, but you are never alone, just look to Him.

Love,

Mommy

I am a passionate mom who wants to BE the Christian I pray for my children to become.  I want them to not only hear the passages of God’s Word, but to see it in action in me.  Romans 12 as a whole is transforming me from the inside out in many areas of my life, and hopefully by seeing it come to life in me, it will begin transforming my children as well.

My prayer for each of you today, whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, friend, sister, or brother, is that you seek to put love into action in your life and allow God to shine through you.

- Julie Eastman, Children's Minister