I have been reading through the New Testament lately. Mainly because I want to read Paul’s direction that he is giving the church. I will be honest; there are some things that I don’t understand. I pray that God shines his light on the mystery that He wants me to see.
However, as I was reading tonight, I got to the end of Romans chapter 12 and was hooked by the last 13 verses'. I read them over and over again. Then I pulled out all the Bible translations I have (I have quite a few) to read it in different context's. I don’t normally read the Message Bible unless I want something that is in the clearest sense of human language today, but for this discussion, I have decided to use it. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with it. Isn’t every translation just another interpretation of the KJV?
Romans 12.9-18:
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
At my church we strive to go out and “live the Christ Centered Life.” That is our motto in fact. I feel that these are the guidelines for doing this.
I think that the main point of what Paul saying here is “don’t be stuck-up” and “don’t be the great somebody.” Pretty much, don’t be arrogant jerk who makes church all about you.
How many times have we all tried to be the person that wants the spotlight on them or known someone like that? This is common in early childhood, but some adults haven’t grown past it. They want to be the one on stage preaching. They want to be the lead worship singer. They want to be on the billboard smiling cheesy saying “come worship with me.”
I have come from many churches where titles were everything. Brother this, Sister that, Pastor so and so, Mrs. so and so, Elder this and that, etc. And if you didn’t refer to the Pastor’s wife as Mrs. so and so, she let you know about it. These things are important to them.
Why? Paul explicitly tells us not to be arrogant, yet so many Christians are. Maybe that is why many people don’t want to attend church because they see the church as being more about the person on stage rather than them in the congregation.
As I was tearing down the other day from service, I was talking to our lead guitarist Cody. I asked him if he has noticed the amount of people helping out after service to help tear down. He agreed that there were more. People want ownership of something I believe. And when they take ownership of something in their church, they see more than just a guy on stage preaching. They see their efforts at work affecting other lives around them.
A lot of times, people will serve hoping that they get to preach. I have been to many of churches where the individual who was supposed to take of the offering, gave a little sermonette (that’s a short sermon). There are so many people who want to preach; at least they think they do.
I used to be one of those people. You couldn’t pay me enough to preach now. I might speak, but I won’t preach. No, I feel like that I can be a greater witness using Paul’s directions that he gave to the Romans.
However, become comfortable not being in the light all the time. Sure, if God has done something amazing in your life, ask the Pastor if you may give a testimony. There is nothing wrong with that. But strive to be as Paul said, "practice playing the second fiddle" and be grateful for that.
Paul said that, “if you got it in you, get along with everybody.” I am easily liked. I have no idea why and I so trying not to to being vain at all. It is just that I can make a friend anywhere I go. However, there are times I just don’t feel like talking. However, you never know when that one person that is visiting church that day is giving it one last chance. So you might be the one person to save them. So, even when you don’t feel like it, do it (and this goes for me).
I’ll end with a quote from Joyce Meyer’s. It goes something like this:
“I am sure there are times when you don’t feel like doing the right thing, but I am sure that Christ didn’t feel like going to the Cross either.”
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