Abounding in Love; Romans 12:9-13

Some mornings, coffee isn’t enough. A few years ago, after a late night and an early morning, I sat down at breakfast with friends and announced, “Listen . . . I’m barely functioning. If you have anything important to say, you’re probably going to need to repeat it three times.” Honestly, exhaustion was only part of the problem. The truth is, human beings are forgetful. We miss things. We drift. We stop paying attention. Which is why repetition matters. Back in the 1800s, a psychologist named Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that repetition helps move things into long-term memory. Apparently, hearing something repeatedly helps it stick (though I have my doubts it would work for a name like "Hermann Ebbinghaus"). Repetition helps us remember. God already knew that. In the New Testament, we find 100 passages that tell us what we should do for "one another." We should pray for one another, speak truth to one another, bear one another's burdens, and serve one another, just to name a few. If Ebbinghouse says three times is the charm, the Bible's 100 "one anothers" shows us that God doesn't want us to forget how to treat one another! And underneath all the “one another” passages is one central command holding everything together: love one another. Not sentimental love. Not easy love. Not “I’ll love you when it’s convenient” love. Romans 12 describes a love that is sincere, sacrificial, patient, generous, and deeply committed to other people.

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