Start by reading Romans 12:9-13 

In a time when people from all backgrounds and walks of life are looking for ways to respond to the current events isn’t it awesome that we can be joyful in knowing we have God’s word for direction? For this devotional we will look at how we can demonstrate the Marks of the True Christian according to today's passage. Romans 12:9-13 says…

“9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

From Pastor Scott’s sermon a few weeks ago titled, “Be Christian,” we learned three important actions we can take in response to the current events and to advance the gospel. Let's take a look at those actions- you'll see I added a fourth one based off of the instruction in verse 12.

• Pray – Verse 12 tell us to, “…be constant in prayer.” Are you trying to fight your battles alone or are you taking it to the Lord? The Bible says pray. We have access to the throne of grace, so we need to wear some holes in the ground. Pray, and you will develop a compassion for people. 

• Love –  Verse 9 tells us, “Let love be genuine…” Love starts with repentance.  Repentance of real actual sin, not made up stuff. Repent for acts of commission and omission, and then love with sincerity.

• Preach – Verse 11 says, “… be fervent in Spirit, serve the Lord.” Share the gospel.  Talk about sin, righteousness, and judgement. There is a true, just judge that we will stand before. Remember, we are finite people in a finite place, but we must not lose heart. God will remain true to His character and satisfy justice. It has already been satisfied at the cross, and we need to share this Good News.

• Rejoice – Again in verse 12 we read, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation…” As Christians we should be joyful and hopeful. If you are down or depressed, implement the previous three action steps and see how that works out for you. Perhaps try doing something for someone else instead of being preoccupied with your own troubles. We should be able to enter into the joy of others, just as we are to enter into their suffering.  

Try doing something for someone else today, enter into someone else’s life, contribute to the needs of the saints according to Romans 12.

Pray > Love > Preach > Rejoice > Repeat