THE CHECKLIST
ROMANS 12:9-21 NKJV
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
I do not normally have so many verses as the passage for the day. But this is such an amazing list I could not find a stopping place.
If you are a pilot, you have a checklist that is extremely important. A good pilot does not ignore the checklist because it is a life or death matter to all those on board.
Important professions have checklists. There are surgical checklists that must be followed. Those involved in our nuclear weapons and nuclear energy roles have checklists.
So, to have a checklist this well laid out should come as no surprise to those of us who are followers of Christ. And we can make a very good case for this list being a life or death matter. Spiritual life.
And that is not a hyperbole statement. This list starts with love which is the New Testament commandment. And as we look at the rest of this list, it sums up what a believer should do and become.
This list tells us how to treat each other in the Body of Christ. Treating one another with honor, respect, kindness, and brotherly love.
This list addresses how we are to serve the Lord, what to do in difficult times, and the proper mentality toward prayer.
This list speaks to how to handle the people who persecute and do wrong to you. What to do when you are angry and want revenge. And how to live with difficult people.
Verse 21 is a powerful truth of how to deal with evil. It is not responding in the same way but overcoming evil with good.
APPLICATION:
I would encourage you to read this list numerous times. It answers so many what do I do in this situation questions.
Spoiler alert, this is not an easy list. But whoever said being a follower of Jesus Christ was the easiest way? Being a follower of Christ is the best way. And being a follower will demand more from us. But, and this is an important but, God would not ask us to do anything we are unable to do. He believes we have the capacity to walk this way. Don't be discouraged if you fall short. Just get back up and stick with the list.