10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:10-13
I stumbled upon a wallpaper image recently with the following text:
Don’t go to church. Be the Church.
And it really got me thinking when I read it. It makes so much sense. Of course, going to church service is very important (I think it should actually read “Don’t just go to church”) , but the idea of it is correct I think. God doesn’t want us just attending church, He wants us to be a part of it, to have the overall experience. Church shouldn’t start and stop on Sunday services.
In the first place, in biblical terms church doesn’t just mean the building, or physical structure where there the people congregate. It refers to each person who has Christ in them. And when these people gather together in God’s name, they form a church as well. And if they decide to formalize their group, maybe acquire a building so they can serve God better, then they are still a church, but not because of the building, and not because of the group, but because as individuals, each of them are temples of God, with the Holy Spirit residing in each heart and guarding and guiding each soul.
In the passage we are enjoined to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” This is because loving the Lord, which includes having faith in Him and obeying His word, means that we should love one another as well. It’s the commandment of the new covenant. Jesus said so, and that in itself is reason enough.
Going to Church and serving other people go hand in hand. God has a plan for us, and this is part of His plan, for us to be bound together in love, praying together, growing together, and serving together in His name.
Besides, love is an action word. It calls us to act upon the things that we say. It is not actually love until it is actualized in the things that we do, in the way that we relate with each other, and in the way that we react to one another. We cannot really say that we truly love unless we can show it. When done in this way, it doesn’t even have to be said at all.
Reflection Question
Are you loving your brothers and sisters in Christ enough? When was the last time you did an act of love for someone, just because?
Lord, I love you. Thank You for giving me the grace to be able to say those words out loud, and the spirit with which to actually mean them. Increase my capacity of my heart, that I might extend this love to my brothers and sisters, and friends and family as well. Amen
