Category Archives: Romans

Owe 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. For 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.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

Romans 13:8-10

Dear God, so I “owe” it to people to love them. I mean, I kind of knew that I owed it to you to love them, but I’d never considered the idea that I owe it to them.

Right now, I’m spending a few days meeting with a bunch of different people. It’s going to be easy for me to love some of them, but for some, it sure doesn’t feel like I owe them love. Some of them have hurt people I naturally love. Some of them will not respect my love for you. And some of them need your light and healing. In some cases, it will take dying to myself to love them.

Father, especially for the next three days, help me to love both naturally and unnaturally. Help me to be your ambassador of peace. Help me to fulfill your complete law by exhibiting the love I have the opportunity to show to everyone with whom I come into contact.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Dear God, “neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow…” That’s an interesting thing to include in things that will not separate us from your love. On the one had, Jesus taught us to consider the lilies of the field and not worry, but here Paul is telling us that there’s grace for our humanness and brokenness. As we slowly work out our faith and learn not to worry, there is still room in your heart for us to do that.

Whenever I think about people with reason to worry I think about a father in Syria or The Sudan who cannot protect his wife, his children, or even himself from despots. I think about the sex trafficking victim who will likely never be rescued while she’s alive. I think about myself and my legitimate concern for my children as they live in the world. These fears aren’t sin. They are real, and they are the things that bring me to my knees. In my case, there is the opportunity for me to bring these and other concerns I have to you and learn to live in your peace through them. But for some others that I mentioned here, that opportunity for peace doesn’t exist—at least a peace that I’m capable of understanding. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t there to love each one.

Father, I really do feel your love and grace. Thank you. Thank you for your forgiveness and your provision. Thank you that your love for me is beyond anything that I can do to separate me from you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” ) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

Romans 8:35-37

Dear God, I confess to you that I cannot stand prosperity Gospel preachers. I truly think of them as an enemy of your message. I can’t really think of any New Testament characters of whom A certain pastor would say they are living their best life now. There’s a lot of poverty, suffering, and death among the faithful.

I’ve always struggled with really understanding your message through the book of Job, but I read a Biblical commentary on the book that really helped me. Actually, I got part way through the commentary, but there was this one part that really spoke to me. It talked about six different levels of faith that I’ll list here.

1 Intuitive – projective faith: is associated with the child’s faith, based upon fantasy and imagination

2 Mythical-literal faith: is the family faith of the early school years, which is sustained by moral rules and either/or thinking

3 Synthetic – conventional faith: as an adolescent phase that conforms to the tradition of the community and creates the “kind” of person of faith it models or rejects

4 Individuative – reflective faith: is the faith of the young adult who is capable of critical thinking, independent reflection, and dialectical reasoning

5 Conjunctive faith: is a mid-life and old-age faith that integrates self-identity with a comprehensive world of you to see the order, coherence, and meaning of life in order to serve and be served

6 Universalizing faith: is the rare faith of the world citizen who incarnates a transcendent vision into a disciplined, active, and self-giving life. (Page 22)

The author made the argument that Job and his friends start out the book in the third level of faith. In their custom, good fortune expressed your favor and bad fortune your displeasure. But through Job’s suffering he learned that there is actually very little connection between a seemingly #blessed life and your favor. This is something that the early Christian Church surely figured out as they suffered for their pursuit of you.

My wife just interviewed an author who is writing a series of books that includes a Christian character. He is three books into a series that he expects to ultimately be 14 books. He told her that at some point the character will have multiple children and the youngest one will be the most like him and yet they will experience a period of deep estrangement. The character’s faith will not, and really should not, protect him from this kind of pain.

Father, I know people who have really suffered—much more than me. My prayer is that you will help me to be a minister to them and to embrace the path you have for me regardless of what it might be. And for my relatives who are suffering, please do not let this pain go in vain. Make it count, and make it count for your glory.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.Romans 13:1-5

Dear God, I would say that Paul was naive to say this, but I know it was written to Romans during a Roman Empire that could be ruthless towards Christians so it makes me think I’m missing a context that would change his meaning from what I’m reading this morning. Reading it just leaves me thinking, what is he talking about?

It’s not like I’m a rebellious person, but does all authority really come FROM you? I can see where you allow rulers and authorities to come over us when we go our own way as a society. I also believe, however, in civil disobedience. I believe in the ability to stand up to authority and tell it that it is wrong. Even Paul pushed back against authority to the point where he was imprisoned and killed. So where is this passage coming from? What is he really talking about?

Father, if this passage is telling me that to reject all government because I only recognize you or my church as my authority is wrong because I also need to subject myself to the society within which I live and accept its governmental authority then I’m okay with it. But if it’s telling me that you put Hitler in charge and those in Germany in 1933-1945 should have been willingly subject to him then I’m sorry, but I don’t think that reflects your heart. So I assume I’m missing something from Paul here. I’ll need to ask him for some clarification when I get there one day. 😉

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

Romans 8:14-17 NIV[14] For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. [15] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. [17] Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Dear God, I make jokes about “free will” and wanting to ask you one day if you regret that little aspect of our humanity, but I know the alternative is worse. I know that without it we would be the slaves Paul mentions here. Instead, we are your children. 

So what would it be like to be slaves of yours? I can’t even fathom it. I guess it would mean serving a God who controls us through fear. In fact, I think it plays into the theology that a lot of people have about you rewarding Christians for good behavior and punishing for bad behavior. This theory was debunked by Job and so many others thousands of years ago, but I suppose it is hard for humans to separate love and relationships from setting conditions on both. 

Father, I’m not here praying right now for any kind of reward other than relationship. I know that knowing you and loving you is good for me. I know that you are the only rest my soul can find. So I submit to you willingly and freely. Thank you for loving me. 

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen 

Romans 8:31-32 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 

Dear God, in my journal yesterday, I talked about a check in my spirit. I had some theories about why I was so unsettled, but I just couldn’t tell. Well, I think I figured it out. 

Much to my relief, it wasn’t a lack of faith. It was simply that I was carrying some news that I needed to share with someone. I wasn’t keeping it a secret. I just hadn’t had a chance to share a concern with a board member, but when I had the chance to just share the burden at a meeting yesterday, the churning went away. 

Father, you said it is not good for people to be alone. Sure, you were referring to a man at the time, but it goes for women too. We were built to share our burdens and get input from others. I know someone right now who needs some outside help from family, but so far is refusing it. I’m so frustrated by this. So please help this friend. Help me. Help us all to allow others to be the iron that sharpens us. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen 

Romans 14:8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 
Dear God, I read a piece this morning when I woke up about the underlying cause of divorce. It wasn’t affairs, cheating, lying, stealing, etc. It was, according to the author, living for yourself with an unrepentant heart. I’ll buy that. 

I think it would be hard for two people who are married to live for you, remember that your first calling in our lives is to our spouse, and then end up divorced. Yes, there will be ups and downs. Yes, there will be times of stress when intimacy ebbs and sadness or even fear grows. But that is part of the journey. 

Father, help me to REALLY live for you. Help me to remember the priorities you have for me. Help me to reject self-pity (one of my favorites) and selfishness. Help me to find the line where taking care of myself becomes missing the need you want me to meet around me, and not to cross it. Help me to be such an example of you that it draws others into your light. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen