9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:9-10 ESV)
I really like these two verses, mainly because I think they epitomizes how we are to be with one another. Loving, genuine, shunning evil and holding fast to good. Even the final challenge to outdo one another showing honor. Not because loving is a competition, but if we are all striving to do better then we are all winning.
Scripture calls for these things because God knew how mankind was. We are more apt to lie, cheat and steal than to honor one another. Our human nature is fallen and we allow the world to take over far too often. Instead, this is a call to be completely different. Striving to be our best for God and one another.
This all starts with a genuine love. Without this everything is simply lip service. When we show a genuine love for one another everything else comes much more easily. Now, is this to say that we may be betrayed, scoffed at or maligned? No, all of those things can and will happen. But when our response is simply to love on one another it is far harder for others to steal the power God gives us in love.
