Paul’s words in Romans 12 are wonderfully practical. Rather than abstract theology, they offer an authentic picture of Christian life when God’s grace has taken root in us. Paul begins with a simple but challenging command: “Let love be genuine” (Romans 12:9). Paul is saying that we should not simply appear loving when it is convenient or when others are watching us.
Real Christian love means caring when there is nothing to gain, being patient with difficult people, praying for those who disappoint us and choosing kindness when irritation would be much easier.

Paul’s practical instructions include: “Love one another with mutual affection” (Romans 12:10); “outdo one another in showing honour” (Romans 12:10); “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15); and “do not repay anyone evil for evil” (Romans 12:17). They describe a Christian community in which God’s grace changes the way we speak, act, forgive and serve.

One of Paul’s most challenging words is: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). It can be hard to rejoice when another person receives something we hoped for ourselves. We may be pleased, yet still ask, “What about me?” It can also be difficult to weep with those who weep. We may not know what to say or may offer easy answers when what we really need to do us simply sit and listen.

This call to enter the joys and sorrows of others is to be more deeply Christ-like. Jesus welcomed the overlooked and those on the margins as he shared in people’s pain. Most significantly, on the cross, Jesus sacrificed himself in love. Then, through his resurrection, he overcame sin and death so that we might have new life. Because Christ lives, God’s grace, imparted by the Holy Spirit, can renew and transform us; enabling us to love and live in more Christ like ways.

In our reading, Paul then takes us somewhere even more challenging: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” (Romans 12:17). Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink” (Romans 12:20). This is not weakness, but a radically different response to evil. Our instinct can be to return what we have received; to answer hurt with hurt, harshness with harshness, and unfairness with retaliation. But Paul says: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

The world often tells us that strength means getting even.
However, Jesus shows that strength can mean refusing to let another person’s behaviour determine our own. We need not become bitter because someone else is bitter, or cruel because someone else has been cruel. We can choose grace, goodness, forgiveness, generosity and peace. This does not mean ignoring injustice or tolerating abuse from others. Instead, we must come to the realisation that we do not defeat evil by becoming part of it.

Perhaps there is someone we find difficult, a strained relationship, or something said or done that we are still carrying in our hearts and minds We may not be able to change the other person or the circumstances, but with God’s help we can choose how we respond. We can ask God for genuine love, the grace to honour others, the willingness to rejoice and weep with them, and the courage to seek peace wherever peace is possible.

We must remember that we do not do any of this through our own strength. The Christian life begins with God’s grace. We love because God has first loved us, we forgive because we have been forgiven, and we show mercy because we have received mercy from God. As we go into the coming week, perhaps we could carry theses phrases with us: “Let love be genuine” (Romans 12:9); “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15); or “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). What might it mean to live out those words this week? Perhaps making a phone call to someone who needs encouragement, celebrating another person’s good news without comparison, sitting quietly with someone who is grieving, or choosing not to answer an unkind word with another unkind word. These may seem small, but Christian discipleship often involves these small acts of love.

So let us ask God to make Paul’s words more than instructions on a page. May they become a way of life, shaping our choices, our conversations, and the welcome we offer to each person we meet, especially those who feel forgotten, excluded, or alone. May our love be genuine, our hearts generous,
and our lives bring peace. And may we, in all that we do, overcome evil with good.