As Yourself – Sketchnotes on Romans 13-16
Today’s sketch is a bit different. Several weeks ago, I was invited to contribute to “Journey to the Cross,” a Lent devotional guide put together by my church, Rolling Hills Community Church. My contribution was to focus on Romans 13-16, and I decided to take a few sketchnotes on the passage before sitting down to write my devotional. You can see my sketchnotes above, and read my devotional below. And if you’re following along with the guide, you’ll see my contribution on February 28th!
As Yourself
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” A simple commandment, but not an easy one. How do you love a leader whose decisions don’t seem to be in the best interest of those being led? How do you love a sister in Christ whose beliefs don’t seem compatible with yours? How do you love someone outside your culture who doesn’t know Jesus? How do you love a dear friend you haven’t seen in years?
Loving one’s neighbor requires us to shift our focus from ourselves and our own desires to others and their needs. Being self-centered comes naturally to us. When things are going well, we revel in our “success” and wonder what character flaws lead others to struggle as they do. When life is hard, we pursue whatever pleasure we can, telling ourselves that we’re “owed” a little relief from our struggles. But we’re called to put aside these “deeds of darkness” and let God help us overcome our self-centeredness and love our fellowman.
Putting someone else’s needs ahead of your own? That’s an act of faith—some kind of faith, even if it’s not a faith in God. Doing so requires the belief that caring for others has value, that we as humans have a higher calling than our self-centered natures would indicate. Having faith in God and His sovereignty (“no authority except that which God has established”) certainly helps when we’re getting outside our comfort zone. When we serve a God who has the whole world in His hands—and who is asking us to love our neighbors—it’s easier to invest our time and energy in others.
“I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.” The good news for those struggling to love their neighbors is that we’re not dependent on our own good will, talents, and smarts to do so. When we focus our attention on those around us and trust God to take care of us as we reach out, God works through us to bring blessings to this world.
Leave a Reply