Romans 13

This morning, I woke up thinking about an old friend I haven’t seen or talked to in years. I’m not sure why they crossed my mind, but then I read something in Exodus 30 that made me think of their name. I just felt the need to pray for them and their family. I hope and pray everything is alright. Then I moved on to Romans 13:8, which really got me thinking. a passage that challenged my perspective on debt and devotion.

‘⁸Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.  ⁹For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet”. These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. ‘
Romans 13:8-10

I couldn’t help but think, wouldn’t the world be a better place if we lived as God commands us? If we felt obligated to love one another and to treat people as we wanted to be treated? I guess that’s what I did this morning, when I prayed for my old friend. Hopefully, I’ll remember to do that again and to pray for people who weren’t necessarily friends or might not agree with me when I think of them. Maybe a phone call or text of encouragement if it’s appropriate.

From Mark, we know that loving our neighbor is as important as loving God. I wonder what my world would look like if I could keep the thought “how can I show love to everyone I meet today” at the forefront of my mind?

‘²⁹Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. ³⁰And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”‘
Mark 12:29-31

No other commandment is greater than these.

In verse 11, Paul says the time is running out: the older I get, the more I realize how time flies, and that this very day may be my last. I wish I had taken Romans 13:13-14 to heart in my younger years; it would have saved me a lot of grief.

‘¹³Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.’
Romans 13:13-14

Reading Romans 13 reminds us to be mindful of our thoughts and behaviors. I think of “clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ”. Clothing surrounds us, and it protects us from the elements. When we surround ourselves with reminders of Christ, that protects us from this dark world. I have chosen a few ways to do this today.

• A note on my computer monitor, “love your neighbor.”
• Choosing to listen to Christian music, instead of my usual disco, country, or yacht rock.
• Meditating on the most important commandment, instead of mindlessly scrolling social media.

On a completely unrelated but funny note, my 6th grader just tried to tell me that my Adidas slides were lame, and “Adidas” in Hebrew means “NO RIZZ.” I’m not for sure, but I think that was a stab.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for your unfailing love. Forgive us for not loving you and our neighbors. Lord, I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, words, and actions today to love more, to live as Christ now. Surround us with your Holy presence, lead us to an everlasting, joyful life. In Christ’s name, Amen.