Mga TAGA-R0MA D0SE...My Two Cents ✍️

Romans 12, as penned by Paul, is one of my favorite Bible chapters because it gives practical advice from verse 1 to verse 21:

1.  We present our bodies to God as "buhay na alay." How? We commit our time and energy to godly tasks by adopting the approach of praying, caring, and sharing.

--PRAY. We communicate with God either alone (personal quiet time) or in groups such as Bible study or discipleship groups. When we make petitions to God on behalf of others, sing a worship song, or converse with God even just in our minds, we are already praying.

-- CARE is to volunteer at church activities, assist with any evangelical drives, and support or donate to a charitable institution.  Sharing our time, effort, strength, knowledge, and possessions with others is to show concern since we are giving away a part of ourselves to the service of men for the glory of God.

--SHARE. Tell others about Jesus and share with them the truth of God's word. Christians serve as the Bible to those who do not read it. Hence, we must be mindful of our actions so we can point others to God.

2. Not everything this world has to offer is beautiful, bright, and sunny. Most of it appears wonderful and good on the surface but is actually destructive. So, instead of imitating the world's practices or pleasures, discern right from wrong based on God's word and examine human wisdom from a godly perspective.

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8:
Others, like you, have been given a special talent by God. Thus, no one may boast or feel superior to another because God has bestowed gifts on us all, making us equally valuable. So treasure whatever God has given you. And, rather than bragging, humbly and gladly show others everything God has blessed you with in terms of ability, aptitude, and talents. In which case, we might direct others to the Giver of All Gifts. And, to overcome the arrogance and vanity that come with owning, again remember that, others were given just as much by God as we were. So there's no point feeling superior to others..

9, 10:
How do we genuinely love others? We put ourselves aside and prioritize others. We avoid self-centeredness by practicing selfLESSness. We view individuals as equals regardless of appearance or status and love them just the same, whether family members or strangers. When we ignore our rights and feelings of entitlement because we care more about the well-being of others than ourselves and want to help them without expecting anything in return, then we are genuinely loving people.

11, 12: 
Let us oppose the negative influences that sap our enthusiasm for God: apathy, slothfulness, idleness, and procrastination. Every day is a battle to keep the spark of "faith in Christ" alive in us and to finish the race set before us. This is a challenge to all of us since we have a common foe (Satan) the anti-good, the Anti-Christ, who makes it difficult for us to carry out our God-given mission. Since Satan is an enemy in spirit, our weapons to battle him must also be spiritual—a fiery, abiding faith in Christ and a non-stop prayer.

13. Take note of and express gratitude to those people who aid your spiritual journey . Thank the people who have shared with you the gospel about Jesus, just so you can avoid hell and earn eternal life through Christ. Recognize that the spiritual services they offer are a long-term investment. You'll surely be grateful for what they did to you.

14, 17-21: 
Who of us does not have an enemy? Everyone has. Someone will always irritate us and someone will despise us (with or without cause). However, God said that it was HIS responsibility to retaliate against those who wronged us.  Ours is to promote peace as much as possible. Isn't that very hard? Yes! It is! (Whew!) That is why, to do good to our opponents, we need the power of the Holy Spirit. And prayer is the best way to deal with them. Hence, cast them onto God's basket list and let God handle them.

15. It is easy to relate to and sympathize with those close to us. We cry with them when they cry, and we celebrate with them when they rejoice. We prefer to be with those we know well and dislike those with whom we are unfamiliar or do not get along. But, just as God, who is just, shines his sun on everybody, good or evil, sinful or righteous, and does not withhold His kindness and benefits from us, let us also treat everyone fairly and refrain from playing favorites.

16.  Some people love their family but not strangers or acquaintances, creating the impression of partiality. Others, because of their excellent looks or fortune, believe they are superior to others and avoid socializing with people of lower status. However, keep in mind that the same God who made you is also the Creator of the less fortunate and that Jesus died for both you and them, as well as everyone else, so let us value everyone since we share the same Creator and Savior. And the fact that we all face the same end,(straightened, cold bodies, without breath, buried 6 feet underground), what then makes you different from the impoverished? That's why I'm fascinated by proud people as to  where do they get their overly confident lives when all of us will have the same end result?

God be praised! He is the Giver of wisdom🙏