Romans 12 has been on my mind a little bit this past week as we are hopefully coming out of this pandemic very soon. The Apostle Paul is speaking about the 'new normal' of the Kingdom of God and thus he gives us some great words of wisdom that we can keep in mind in as we enter our ‘new normal’ of the post-covid world.[1] Paul tells us to offer up our lives to God and not conform to society but instead to renew our minds so that we can do what God would like us to do. He then goes on to explain what it is that God wants us to do with our lives as part of the "new normal". Paul says that, as opposed to what society says, we are to:
· Not think of ourselves as the greatest at whatever we do, or the smartest person in the room.[2] You and I can be wrong about something. Be thankful for that! That is how we learn and get better and smarter!
· Work together as a team. Not everyone has the same job, skills and abilities. Work together. Someone bring the sandwich supplies, someone set up the room, someone clean up the room, someone bring things out on the truck, someone teach kids club, someone teach Bible study, someone lead worship, someone else call everyone to let them know what’s going on, someone else make Birthday cards for people, someone else schedule the helpers and pay the bills – serve, teach, give, encourage! Do what it is your good at – but do something! And do it as part of a team!
And team when we continue to do all that we do, remember to love it! Don’t resent it! Love God, love the people here, the people we are helping, and love what you are doing! When we love God and others and are part of God’s Kingdom, this is what it will look like. He encourages us as citizens of heaven to:
· not think of yourself as better, smarter, superior to anyone;
· not lack in zeal – be really energetic! But remember when you get all worked up about something, keep all that energy focused on the Lord and His work. Don’t get worked up over things that God isn’t giving you to do! Keep your fervour for serving the Lord as part of the team.
· The Covid-19 pandemic is probably coming to an end. God and Paul tell us to keep joyful while we are hoping for something. Let us try to maintain the joy of the Lord even now as we hope for the pandemic to end;
· Be patient in affliction. We will get through the pandemic and whatever else we are dealing with today. One thing I have learned in my life is that no matter how bad my day has been (due to circumstance, my own actions, or something else), every day is a new day. As we are patient and persevere, we will come out the other end. We will.
· As a team we are also supposed to share with those in need – well done team! You have been doing great at this -and practice hospitality: thank you to all those who have called others, written notes, dropped by, and extended hospitality in so many different ways over the last year.
And next in our passage today, God and Paul tell us some more things to do while we are taking care of others in our community. He says:
· Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them! This is difficult but this is important. There will always be someone who complains and calls you out and puts you down when you are just trying your best. Do not get drawn into a fight with them or get sucked into talking bad about them. This will only make you unforgiving, harden your heart, and mess up your life. The only way we can be free of poison emotions is to actually seek blessings for those who wish us ill.
· There are many ups and downs in life – some brutal stuff: like those 215 children who were found, the fires, overdoses and deaths in our community and some very important good things too: graduations, birthdays (Reinhart just had his 90th and Sarah-Grace her 19th), and many other things. Let us celebrate with those who are celebrating and let us mourn right alongside those who mourn, offering support in that way.
· Let us live in harmony with one another. We are not going to agree on everything. But we don’t need to fight with one another. Make sure you don’t think of anyone as not worth your time. Like we said previously, don’t be conceited. We should respect everyone and remember – I and you might be able to learn something as we love another.
· Now people are going to be mean to you. People are going to say bad things about you and to you. People are going to yell at you to your face and talk about you behind your back. People are going to do bad and evil things to you. They are. Make sure that you don’t do the same thing to them. As miserable as it is when someone attacks you, it is also sometimes just as awful, sometimes even more awful when you respond by talking poorly to or about them! Never take revenge (1 Thess 5:15, 1 Pt 3:9)! Let God deal with all that kind of stuff (Dt 32:35). What we need to do – for our own soul, our own salvation, our own peace and peace of mind, as well as theirs - for those who are rough to us and around us,
o if they are hungry, we need to feed them
o if they are thirsty, we need to give them something to drink (cf. Prov 25:21-22)
Evil cannot be overcome with evil. That only produces evil. Evil can only be overcome with good.
So, as we conclude this part of our time today, and as we are even now beginning to live in the ‘new normal’ I encourage us to do just that - as part of our ‘new normal’, let us continue to make food for those in need, let us continue to use our gifts to work as a team, let us encourage one another and let us resolve to overcome evil with good in our community here for both now and forevermore. Let this be our ‘new normal’!
[1] Cf. NT Wright, Romans for Everyone Part 2: Chapters 9-16 (Louisville, US: WKJ, 2004), 69
[2] F.F. Bruce, The Letter of Paul to the Romans. Tyndale NTC (Leicester, UK: IV Press, 1985), 216: Outdo one another in showing honour.
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