Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Rom. 13:14)
Expanded Passage: Romans 12:9—13:14
I met a girl at church who was fun and attractive and had a great family. The only caveat was her family was a baseball family. I’m more on the artsy, musical side of the personality spectrum. If it wasn’t her travel ball schedule, it was her brother’s. I wanted to pursue this relationship, to be a part of the family, so I traveled with her family to the games, threw the ball with her brother, and learned the game quickly.
We can do crazy things—even things that go against our personality—to build relationship with someone else. We may not always make healthy sacrifices. We may forsake godly community out of our spouse’s fear of abandonment, go to a bar with them when we’ve been struggling for sobriety, or neglect our call from God for the sake of a relationship.
God does not want us to neglect our relationship with him. In fact, he wants us to pursue him in the ways that we often pursue a significant partner. We do this by obeying his commands to love him and to love others. Paul alludes to these concepts in Romans 12:9—13:14; he gives a multitude of examples on how to love others and how to honor God, while also rebuking the church for its private sin and neglect of holy living.
Prioritize your relationship with God first.
Hunter Curtis is a husband and father who loves traveling, reading, and equipping leaders. He is a licensed minister and operates a graphic design business.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
