10 Simple "Rules" From Romans 12

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mystdancer50

mystdancer50

Senior Member
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Feb 26, 2012
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I love Romans 12. :) Today, for my blog entry, I wrote this. Just thought I'd share it. :)

1. God first. No matter what is happening in this world at large or in your own little world, God is always first. Faith is trust. That is all it is. Trust that God is in control and knows what is going to happen and will take care of you throughout everything you face. Put Him first, surrender your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him, and then do what He tells you to do. Then, you will be walking in His perfect will.
2. Don't be prideful. Don't seek to elevate yourself above anyone else. Don't seek a grand position in the body of Christ. Be humble and meek, no matter what you are called to do and where you are called to be.
3. Be who Jesus has for you to be. Take your place in the body. Don't seek the place of others, don't envy the places that God has given to your fellow family. Instead, take the place He has for you and be what He has called you to be. If you don't know, ask. It is His good pleasure to tell you.

4. Use your gifts and talents. As Holy Spirit reveals your gifts and talents, use them. Use them to edify and build up the body of Christ, use them to further the kingdom of God, use them to reach the lost, to be a light in the darkness and salt in this earth.
5. Love. Don't be false in your love of others, but be true. Find something to love about a person, even those that rub you the wrong way. Pray that you can see them the way Christ sees them, see their value and worth and beauty, and then love them. Start small and press in and then let the love grow so that your love for the body and your love for the lost will be true, genuine, deep and lasting.

6. Have a servant's heart. Don't assume others will pick up that piece of paper lying in the foyer. Don't assume that someone knows if something is broken or missing. Don't assume that your presence isn't needed at outreaches and events and happenings. There is always a place to serve, from the littlest of things like picking up a discarded paper, to the ministry of nursery or worship or ushering. Find places to serve and then serve with all that you are.

7. Celebrate your future. God has a future and a hope for each of His children. Rejoice in that and be happy. Celebrate this promise and celebrate your future in Him. Take great delight in knowing that He has planned a wonderful call for you. Will there be tests and trials and tribulations? Yes. But rejoice in those as well. Celebrate your future. Celebrate your salvation. Let the joy of the Lord fill you and let others see His joy in you and in all you do.
8. Blessed to be a blessing. Open your home to your neighbors and friends. Plan ways to give to those that God places on your heart. Give your time. Give your giftings. Give food. Give clothing. Give whatever you are able and whatever He tells you to give and show the blessings of God pouring out through you, His conduit.
9. Love your enemies. Learn to see them as Christ sees them and love them. Forgive them. Do so not to see them suffer under the weight of guilt for their treatment of you, but rather to see them one day repentant and saved due to your example of Christ's love, something they don't see in this world, something no one can see unless we show them.

10. Do not be overcome by darkness. Do not let this world contaminate you, but rather push back the darkness with the light of Truth and love and kindness and mercy and grace. Do not let the darkness overwhelm you and bring you sorrow. Rather, sing songs of praise and worship and comfort and celebrate in the midst of suffering. Paul and Silas did so and the prison doors burst open, many were saved and they were set free. If we want to stay free, do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.
 
mystdancer50

mystdancer50

Senior Member
#2
Feb 26, 2012
2,522
50
48
#2
New blog entry for today...looking at James 4. :) Rather than start a whole new thread, just joined to this one. :)

Drawing Close to God: James 4


  1. Stop fighting with each other and stop envying each other. Do not consider what others have to be better than what God has given you. Look at what blessings have been tenderly placed in your life and give thanks for all that God has done. Don't feel that one person's place/calling is higher/greater than your own. You were created for a purpose. Stop fighting and envying so that you, and others, can truly fulfill your purpose(s) in Christ.
  2. Ask God. Instead of complaining and griping, ask God for the desires of your heart. If you are walking with Jesus in true fellowship, then you can ask for anything in His name and receive it. How is this possible? If you are truly seeking the heart of Christ, you will not ask for the downfall of another or for a sinful desire, but rather, you will seek for the things which further the Kingdom of God, not promote yourself. Thus, it will be granted, for your desires are pure.
  3. Keep your motives focused on Christ. Don't be distracted by the shiny baubles of this world. Keep your motives pure. Don't seek to have your call fulfilled simply to show those that doubted you. Don't seek position to lord it over others. Seek first the Kingdom and then have other things added unto you. Seek first a true relationship with Christ, and have your motives purely aligned with His plans and purposes, and then you can ask and have it granted.
  4. Abandon friendship with this world. Do not seek ways to meld Christianity and worldliness together. It can never happen. They will never mesh. You must be in the world, but not of the world. Do not think that you can combine sin and sanctification and continue on your merry way. Being a friend of this world makes you an enemy of God.
  5. Be faithful. Holy Spirit desires for you to be faithful. There is great peace in faithfulness. It is something everyone wants to experience in regards to themselves and the relationships they hold dear. Remember that Jesus Christ is a person and He desires you to be faithful to Him, just as He is so amazingly faithful to you.
  6. Be humble and repentant. Don't let pride swell you up like a balloon. Be humble and meek and keep everything in its proper perspective. Remember of those newly saved that you were there once, too. Remember of the abusers that you once were bound in sinful habit, too. Remember when you see the amazing outpouring of grace on the repentant sinner that you have experienced that, too. Don't let your heart become hardened and your life stagnant. Keep yourself close to Christ and hear His voice and examine your heart and, when sin is found, purge it and repent and be thankful for the endless mercy and grace of our Savior.
  7. Don't be critical of others. Don't be abusive and cruel in your dealings with each other. Take the time to get to know each other and offer edification and encouragement. Seek friendships and godly relationships with others. Sow love and reap love in return. Yes, sin must be dealt with, yet check what it is that you are correcting others on. Is it something trivial, such as poor grammar or missed connections, or is it deadly things, such as fornication and idolatry? Keep it all in perspective and don't be critical.
  8. Be the one Christian in church. I heard my former pastor say, "When I show up somewhere, I expect there to be at least one Christian there: me." That changed how I view things. You are not called to fix others or to monitor their Christian level. When you show up somewhere, do so with the knowledge that there will be one Christian present: you. Live the life Christ has for you, be obedient to His word, and be light in this darkness.
  9. Live for Christ today. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Every day wasted could be our last day here. Live for Christ each day as if it were you last. What would you do differently if Christ told you He was returning tomorrow? Who would you witness to? Who would you forgive? Who would you accept? Who would you love? Live each day as the gift it is and be sensitive to what Jesus would have you do on this day, for tomorrow is not promised to any soul on earth.
  10. "Remember, it is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." I think this says it plainly enough, taken directly from the NLT version of James 4:17.
 
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