Here is a proverb that should greatly influence our speech and social interaction.

“Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.”

Proverbs 11:12 (ESV)

By way of application, can we all commit to taking a deep breath while offering a prayer for wisdom before we share a tidbit about someone (gossip) or offer that bit of unsolicited advice (criticism).

If we are honest, we would have to admit that too often our sharing or advice is more motivated by pride than love.

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Commentators are nearly unanimously agree that Chapter 12 is a turning point in the Letter to the Romans by the Apostle Paul.

In the first 11 chapters, Paul lays down foundational teaching regarding the nature of what it means to believe and trust in Jesus Christ for one’s salvation. There is so much there that one could spend a lifetime studying the book and never get to the place where there is nothing more to be gained by studying it.

The point of this post is to look at how Paul begins turning the discussion toward application of the first 11 chapters of the letter.

He begins, “Therefore . . . I urge you” (CSB, NASB, NIV). The NASB uses the same translation but the ESV and RSV use the phrase, “I appeal to you.” The King James has a similar but older word, and translates it “I beseech you.” But the meaning is similar in all translations. It is a request that Paul’s readers act upon what he has written.

The point I want to draw out in this is that he does not command them. He does not stand on his authority and bash them with what they need to do. Instead, he lovingly comes alongside his readers to encourage them to right behavior.

The word translated urge/exhort/beseech is from the same root as one of the names of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. It carries the idea of coming beside, and in a different context, it means to encourage or build up.

Many who have been around churches for a long time have run into leaders who attempt to pressure their members into certain behaviors by calling people out from the pulpit and using other tactics that are heavy-handed and short-sighted.

While Paul was not afraid to confront sin and rebellion in the congregation, he was careful only to do so when there was a clear and public violation of the commands of Scripture. For example, in I Corinthians 5:1-2, Paul felt the need to address that church’s willingness to allow open sin in their congregation. He could be tough when it was needed.

Perhaps we can be encouraged by Paul’s example in Romans 12. I can think of two reasons to be encouraged:

1. Paul understands that the application of these principles to our lives is difficult and requires wisdom and that wisdom is often gained through failure. He is encouraging us while knowing that we won’t always get it right.
2. We don’t have to tolerate Pastors or other church leaders who overstep their authority and seek to make us conform to some arbitrary standard that they have set up. Paul didn’t use his authority that way. If an Apostle, directly commissioned by Jesus did not use his authority that way, certainly any church leader today should not.

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The phrase, “And the LORD spoke to Moses . . .” is repeated often in the book of Leviticus. That phrase introduces each new revelation from God to the nation of Israel.

There have been times in my life when I have wished that God would just send a prophet to me to tell me what I should do. Perhaps all of us struggle with questions about God’s will for our lives and how we go about making what seem at the time to be momentous decisions.

But even as I read those words in Leviticus, I am reminded that God has sent prophets to me, many of them, to speak into my life. All their words are found in the Bible at my fingertips. I have the words that God gave to Moses so I can be led in the same way that Israel was lead.

It seems to me that if I treat my neighbors the way that Scripture commands me and if I respond to God in love the way that Scripture commands me, everything else will fall into line. Jesus told us this in Matthew 22:

“He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Matthew 22:37–40, CSB

Maybe the best way to proceed is to trust that if I am faithful to God in the small things, he will take care of the large things.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5–6, CSB

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This post is a continuation of focus on Philippians 4:8 in which Paul gives us a strategy for managing our thoughts and channeling them in a positive direction. The verse reads:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8, ESV

This post concentrates on the second trait of what we should focus our thoughts on. Paul tells us we are to focus on what is honorable.

The Greek word that is translated as honorable has at its root the idea of fear or respect so it carries the connotation of something that evokes respect or should be honored. Lofty is another word that the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament offers as a possible English translation.

Another command by the Apostle Paul comes to mind when I read the definition of honorable.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:2, CSB

So one way to look at this is to set our minds on things of which God approves, those that he commends to us in Scripture. Certainly, Scripture has to be our standard, and to have it as our standard, we have to read it, and seek to understand it.

We should also focus on God and his love for us. Jesus reveals to us the face of God and the extent to which he will go to bring us into relationship with himself. We serve an honorable God who loves us deeply. It is never a bad idea to remind ourselves of this in the middle of all the mundane tasks we need to muddle through on a daily basis.

I wonder if there isn’t another application to this. In 1 Corinthians 13:5, Paul tells us that one of the characteristics of love is that it does not keep a record of wrongs. Could it be that we are to think as well of others as is humanly possible? Maybe we should focus on the honorable parts of their behavior rather than focus on the negative aspects.

Certainly, this is difficult at times, who hasn’t been tempted to throw a pity party for himself when things aren’t going the way we think they should?

But part of maturity is to use our brains to redirect our emotions into a better expression than we might otherwise choose. I’m not referring to a Pollyanna-type denial of reality. This is more of an attempt to broaden the scope of consideration to take into account the promises of God toward those who are in relationship with him.

Yeah, I struggle with this as much as anyone. But maybe we can encourage each other to look up and see God in the midst of the mess.

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