Romans 12:10
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
What does being part of the church look like? Some people see church as a contest to see who can seem the most put together. They really work to seem like Godly people with surface-level stuff like how good their kids act for 65 minutes, how snappy their outfit is, and how broad their smile can be. It becomes a battle between proud people who compete with the next more-put-together-than-you person. Who wants that?
Paul is describing a church where the opposite takes place. A family that has true affection for each other, where each member delights to see the other lifted up. Imagine a place where people were ecstatic to see you do well, to jump on your success and celebrate them with true joy and to sit by you in your failures with genuine care and affection. That’s what God’s love does in a place. Love each other with brotherly affection.
Prayer prompt: Lord, help me to be so aware of Your love that I can show honor to others without all the competition.