Sincerity

Read Romans 12:9-21.

Sincerity—I hadn't thought about it until this morning, but I think that's what I most want in this year's election. I want to know and feel like any of the candidates really (a) believes what they are saying and (b) really honestly cares about me and my family. I've watched speech after speech, followed news stories and done some of my own investigation and I've yet to discover a candidate that isn't out for more than their own glory and power. They claim to be "with" us, but are they really? At least from my vantage point (and you may feel differently), this campaign seems incredibly lacking in sincerity.

It's a quality people look for almost in desperation these days. Every poll about church life tells pastors that what the unchurched are looking for first and foremost in a church is sincerity, or in some cases it's called authenticity.  People want to know you see them, and that you genuinely care. But that's not a new insight. It's an "old" saying because it's true and because it's been true for a long time: people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Sincerity. Authenticity. Being real. Call it what you want, but Paul knew the vital need for this quality way back in first-century Rome.

The latter part of this chapter is chock full of wise, sage advice. I could spend a week or two just in these few verses alone (and maybe I will sometime soon). But all of Paul's advice is bookended by two guiding principles. The first: love must be sincere (12:9). The word there is agape, unconditional love, and that kind of love cannot be faked. It must be sincere, honest, genuine—authentic. Love between us, love for others, love for God—it must be sincere. People must know you love them before you tell them you love them.

The other bookend is this: do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. The one whose love is sincere, the one who lives out that love with all these other guidelines Paul gives, the one whose primary allegiance is to Jesus above everything and everyone else, that person cannot be overcome by evil. Instead they will overcome evil with good.

I think of Joseph in the Old Testament, who had all sorts of awful and painful things happen to him. These things were mostly caused by his brothers, so when their father dies, the brothers come to Joseph and tell him that their father wanted Joseph to forgive them. It's then that Joseph says a very profound thing; one of my seminary professors, Dr. David Seamands, called it having 50/20 vision. Genesis 50:20 says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..." What the world intends for evil, God can turn even that into something good. It may take time, and we may not see it, but God can and will use all things ultimately to bring about good (Romans 8:28).

But we're only able to overcome evil with good when we first determine to love all sincerely, the way God does.