Devotion: In a World Where You Can Be Anything
Please take a moment to read the scripture from the weekend: Romans 12:9-21
“Believe There is Good in the World” and “In a world where you can be anything, be kind” are more than phrases you see on t-shirts. Devoted, honoring, joyful, patient, hospitable, fervent, rejoicing, blessing, willing, and harmonious. According to Paul’s message to the Romans of the early Church, these are all things we are to be in the world. As usual for the New Testament, he doesn’t only give us more rules about what to avoid, Paul tells the early church and us in our time, what to do instead; how to raise the bar and show Christ to the world.
He says we are to love like we mean it, with sincerity. We aren’t just to say that we love people, we are to show them that we mean it. Paul tells us that we can walk away from evil. We don’t have to join every fight we are invited to. As my mom taught me, “When you can choose to either be kind or to be right, be kind”. We can do all of this because Paul also teaches that God says, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” Whew! It’s not on us. It’s on God.
As followers of Jesus, we are to be different than the world. A wise man who came much later than Paul, also reflected on this, “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Isn’t it wonderful that when so much of our lives seems out of control, we can CHOOSE to be kind as Jesus was kind? We can choose to avoid negativity. We can choose to differ from the way of the world. We don’t have to fix the world or respond to every evil. We can make a choice. As the Bible tells us in Joshua 24, “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Holy Spirit, In this world where we can find anger and hate anywhere we look, work within me to reflect the grace-filled presence of Jesus to the world. When I encounter evil, let me sow peace and leave everything else to God. Amen.
Written by Lori Snyder-Sloan
Lori Snyder-Sloan is new to Sheridan, having been a life-long child of God. In her past life she served in healthcare as an Infection Preventionist for CHI Health, and currently enjoys volunteering as a nurse and working part-time from home. She is the wife of Jon Sloan and the mother of married children in Florida and Oregon, a bonus-daughter in Germany and two pups at home. Her family is the highlight of her life, however she also enjoys raising plants, reading, crocheting, Bible study, time with friends, and cross-fit workouts. She and Jon currently live in Omaha, but after the remodel of the family home, they will move back to Lincoln soon.