Read: Romans 12
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. (v. 9)
There are times when we encounter someone who is fake, showy, or insincere. They want to receive attention and praise. If they do something for us, we may wonder what they expect in return. As we continue through Romans 12 and are focusing on the traits of a transformed mindset for a Christian, we encounter verse 9, which teaches us that love must be “genuine.” Other words for this quality can include sincere, authentic, or without hypocrisy.
Such love is evident when we do what we say we will do, when we love others even when they don’t show love to us, and when we pray for our enemies. Our motivation for genuine sincere love is Jesus: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). As we love, we strive to fulfill the second half of Romans 12:9, to “hate what is evil” and “cling to what is good” (NIV).
Our sinful nature tempts us to be selfish, but love that is genuine moves us to be real with each other in the midst of our struggles and shortcomings. What is keeping you from loving people as Jesus did and pursuing good over evil? First John 4:20 challenges us to truly love: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” We are called to show genuine love to everyone.
As you pray, ask God to help you love those around you.
Steve Petroelje is a specialized transition pastor who serves vacant churches and helps them assess health, pursue missional effectiveness, and conduct a pastoral search process. He is the past-president of the Words of Hope Board of Directors.
