"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.On the contrary: “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."
Romans 12:9-21
It’s easy to say we love people—but this passage presses deeper. Paul isn’t talking about a vague, feel-good kind of love. He’s talking about the kind that shows up when it’s hard. The kind that forgives, serves, blesses enemies, and doesn’t keep score.
One verse that always stops me is: “Bless those who persecute you.” That’s not natural for me. My default is to avoid people who wrong me—or at least hold them at arm’s length. But Paul is calling us to something deeper: to respond to pain not with payback but with grace. That doesn’t mean letting people walk all over us. It means refusing to let bitterness write the story.
Paul ends with a challenge I need daily: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The world says to fight back, but Jesus says to pour out kindness instead. That doesn’t make you weak—it makes you free.
Today, think about who you need to forgive. Or who needs your encouragement—even if they haven’t earned it. Let your love be real. Not polished, not forced—just real. That’s the kind of love that changes things. That’s the kind that reflects Jesus.
