Romans 12:16 (ESV)
Scripture: Romans 12:16 (ESV)
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.”
Devotion
When I was a boy our family often holidayed at the beach. One of the things we kids would do each morning is go for a walk with my mum along the beach. She would walk ahead and we would tag along behind. The game was that we would try to walk in her footsteps. That sounds all fine and well, until you realise that a 6 year old boy does not have the same length legs as a fully grown person. So you kind of have to hop from step to step in order to keep in step with the one you were following. That’s a bit like what Paul is talking about in Romans 12:16. He’s addressing the kind of “in-steppedness” we need to have with each other, not in walking, but in living life together as believers.
Paul knows that one of the big problems we have as Christians is that we tend to think we can do it all by ourselves. Our pride and self-sufficiency make it difficult to live in step with one another. I think I have the best way forward, you think you do, and both of us are wrong! It is hard to live in harmony when everyone wants to do a different thing. This is particularly true in the church. When everyone in the church thinks they know what is best for the whole church congregation, it causes problems and divisions. It can split churches apart and it all comes down to pride.
Associating with the lowly is the antidote. You can’t think you’re better than everyone else when you are loving and living with the lowly.
Why should we do it? Because Jesus did.
Jesus, the King of Kings, came down to earth to walk with his people. He came down, put on flesh, and walked the dirty roads of our lives. He hung out with the lowly, the outcasts, the sinners—people whom society often looked down on. He did this because he loved us so much.
Jesus wasn’t haughty. He was the very opposite. He washed the feet of His disciples, a task reserved for the lowest servant in the household. Imagine that—God kneeling on the floor, washing away the dirt from the day’s walk. That is what pursuing harmony looks like. That is what true leadership looks like. That is what true greatness looks like.
Now go and do likewise.
Prayer
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Lord Jesus, You walked the path of humility to teach us the way of harmony. Help us to remember that we are not above anyone, nor are we too wise to learn from others. Teach us to value each other’s contributions, to listen deeply, and to love genuinely. May we emulate Your example in our daily interactions, shedding any sense of superiority and embracing a posture of service. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge
Today, take the time to consider how you can “associate with the lowly” in a practical way. Maybe it’s having a conversation with someone who often gets overlooked or offering help where it’s usually not asked for. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and into someone else’s rhythm. As you do, notice the harmony—and perhaps the joy—that comes from walking in step with others, just as Jesus did.