Day 30. Rubber and Glue

ROMANS 12:9-13 (NASB)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

I’m rubber and you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. I used to be an expert at this saying. If we don’t want what someone else is dishing out, we will typically react in 3 ways: Get mad and show it. Get mad without showing it. Or, overlook the offense from the other person. We have so many opportunities in this world to rub shoulders with things that qualify as evil. Think of 3 people you know from school, your family, or your neighborhood who would gladly do something with you that the Bible calls evil. 

If we have repented of self-righteousness and sin and trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, We have the Spirit of God so we must be setting our mind on the truth of God’s word. We have the ability to love sincerely! We don’t have to “wear a mask” by doing good things so others see us for personal glory or gain. Instead, we desire to do what is right because of the working of the Holy Spirit in us and to please our Master, Jesus. ANY TIME we serve God for our own self-promotion or self-centered desire or for credit or accolades, we are being insincere and deceiving others as a "love pretender." (Yes I just made that up, but you get the drift) This idea of hypocrisy is a tough thing to conquer, and we will never be completely free from this struggle of selfishness and sin until we are made new in heaven. But, in the meantime, we can be like rubber – letting evil motives, thoughts, and plans bounce off of us, refusing to give in to them and overcoming by the power God has given us to be free to love Him and obey Him in Christ.

I will go and help here because (so these people will think I’m a good girl). I will go and do this (then I will feel like God will be pleased with me). No No! Don’t serve for the praise and approval of men, serve God because He approves you by Faith alone in His Son!

Still, cling to what is good. Be obedient to God’s word. Obey! Be devoted to the body of Christ! Mourn with them, Praise with them, Laugh with them, Serve them, honor them above yourself. Don’t do it for what you will gain from them. Do it for the joy that comes in loving and obeying Jesus. These are GOOD things. Be like glue with these things. Get stuck in a joyful habit of doing them. Cling to them.