If our family, our friends, or our neighbors rated us as a person, what would the rating look like? What kind of a person are we?

We tend to live our lives in a tunnel, rubbing elbows with as few people as possible, and trying to make ourselves vulnerable to none. That kind of a life would rate poorly.
There is a higher order to life. The New Testament book of Romans, chapter twelve, tells us much we need to know about being the kind of person who could receive rave reviews on any rating, even God’s.

In verse 9, it says, “love must be sincere.” We need to be genuine in however we express love to others. Actions speak much louder than words. Our hypocrisy, that is, saying one thing and doing another, erodes the opinions of others quickly.

Verse 10 speaks about devotion and honor. Our goal should be to “outdo one another in honor.” It is amazing how life goes if we are always seeking to give more honor than we receive.

In verse 11, we are exhorted to be zealous. We need to bring energy to life, seek involvement with people, and learn to live in community.

Hope, patience, and faithfulness are targeted in verse 12. Hope is a confident assurance rooted in faith. Patience is a godly virtue and a key to longevity in anything. We need to stay on track and dig in for the long haul. Faithfulness in prayer deepens us as a person.
Practicing hospitality is the theme in verse 13. Specifically, we are exhorted to share what we have with people who are in need and who have no capacity to reciprocate in kind.
The path to being a good person gets tougher in verse 14: “bless those who persecute you.” We do not do well with that. The verse goes on: “bless and do not curse.” Cursing our enemies is the natural course. We long to see those who persecute us get their comeuppance. God tells us not to do that. We are to bless them instead.

It gets more specific in verse 18. We are told, “if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” That puts a responsibility on us to be peacemakers in every situation. Verse 19 continues the thought: “do not take revenge.”

Does it seem like God might be asking too much of us? Remember, He set the standard and example. He loved us by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins while we were hating Him.       God loved; God forgave. We must bend the blessing and send out to people what we have received from God.

The Rev. Dan Puckett is a minister with Life Action Ministries.