The past several posts have been dealing with how a Christian should live -- the characteristics or marks of a Christian. We have been looking at Romans 12 and seen how love is really the central focus of a true Christian life. Verse 13 continues in sharing yet another way a Christian should act toward others. It says, Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Does it surprise you that this Bible passage tells us to share our resources with other Christians but does not particularly with unbelievers. This verse is not intended to imply that we shouldn't be concerned with the physical needs of our non-Christian neighbors, but it is emphasizing the importance of church folks taking care of one another. One of the major needs of a local church body is to develop the fellowship among its members. In fact, the word fellowship (koinonia in Greek) means to invest yourself into the life of another believer, and one way to do that is to lend a hand when a brother or sister is facing difficult times. In my opinion, if we don't take care of our "family" then we aren't very likely to be terribly concerned with those outside the family. Thus, generosity toward the brethren demonstrates a giving spirit which will likely also manifest itself through gifts for the poor and needy general public. And giving is a trait that is evidence of a Christ-like spirit, as the Bible tells us that generosity is a trait of our Lord. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave . . . .
Romans 12:13 also tells us to practice hospitality. Why is that important? Again, Christians are taught by God's Word to fellowship, or invest in the lives of one another. How is one of the best ways to do that? To spend time with one another, getting to know each other and developing a bond of trust and love. What better way to do that than to invite fellow believers into your home, or to take a meal when a family has need, or to go to dinner with folks from the church. One of my favorite things to do is to spend time with church folks over a meal (it is obvious that I do a little too much of that). Mealtime is traditionally a time for sharing our thoughts and remembrances with family, and time spent this way with church family is also a valuable investment.
Be a giver of your time and put your love into action!
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