Day 173, Romans 12
We ended the previous section of Paul’s letter with the phrase “everything finds fulfillment in him.” Today we begin the final section of the epistle, which applies that truth to our lives. We have new life in Jesus, and Paul wants us to embrace the full meaning of that life.
Firstly, this life is a two-way street of love and delight. God’s perfect love flows freely to us, and we reciprocate with heartfelt, grateful love returning to God (and overflowing to one another). There is no self-effort or striving in this life of loving because we are loved. So don’t be squeezed into this world’s mold, but let the Holy Spirit in you release metamorphosis to your thinking and action.
Then we are each to develop our uniqueness without promoting ourselves above others. Unless you embrace your God-given destiny, you won’t be able to treasure the different destiny God has implanted in those around you. Paul lists seven gifts of God, but many translations unhelpfully imply one gift may be given to one person and another to someone else. The passage simply speaks of us possessing distinct gifts flowing from the grace given to us by God, and emphasizes that we are all members of one body. So it is valid to understand that God has gifted each believer with the seven facets of Jesus’ nature, and the resulting expression of each believer’s unique blend corresponds to that believer’s place in the body of Christ. In the same way, your body has many functions, such as circulation, oxygenation, excretion and multiplication, that are active in each differing part of the body.
This passage is foundational for us as healthy believers. Unless you discover your uniqueness, connect with others in the Body, and grow increasingly healthy, you will not be fruitful as Jesus intends.
Incidentally, this is also the purpose of my coaching profession. The Life Languages™ Communication Assessment profile equips us to understand ourselves through this lens. You have God’s gift of abundant life in Jesus, and the way God has wired you is a unique blend of these seven languages. If you deepen your understanding of the seven Life Languages™, and discover your own unique profile, you can become far more effective in connecting with others and expressing God’s destiny for you. You can read more here, and I’d be honored to help you with that journey.
Once we understand ourselves through Paul’s analogy that we are each different parts of the same body, his counsel is for love to be our motivation, just as God’s heart toward us is love. “Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another, and never play the role of an actor wearing a mask.” There is no effort in this outflow of love. We overcome evil with good, just as surely as light overcoming darkness, and warmth displacing cold. In other words, our whole lives rest in God’s sufficiency, and the overflow of that abundance through us.
How will that overflow flood the lives of those around you today?
Have a great day!
Mark.