Love That Acts Like Jesus in Your Everyday Life and Home
(Romans 12:9-21)
The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in Rome. He wanted them to know how to live like Jesus. Paul did not write about big, complicated rules. He wrote about love that shows up in real life.
Paul said love must be real and honest. He told them to hate what is evil and hold on tight to what is good. He said to love each other like family. He told them to be eager to show honor to one another. That means they should cheer for each other and not try to be more important than others.
Paul told them to keep their spiritual energy high and to serve the Lord with joy. He said to be patient when life is hard and to keep praying even when they did not feel like it. He told them to share with God's people who were in need and to welcome strangers into their homes. This was not just a nice idea. It was how real love looked in their everyday lives.
Then Paul gave them some hard advice. He said to bless people who hurt them. He said not to curse them or wish bad things on them. That is very hard to do. When someone is mean to us, we want to be mean back. But Paul said to be happy with people who are happy and to cry with people who are sad. He told them to live in peace with everyone as much as they could.
Paul said something very important. He told them not to pay back evil with evil. He said to do what is honorable in the sight of everyone. He told them not to take revenge. Instead, they should let God be the one who makes things right. Paul said God says, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." That means God is the one who will make sure justice happens. We do not have to fix everything ourselves. We can trust God to handle it.
Instead of getting even, Paul told them to do something amazing. He said if their enemy is hungry, they should feed him. If their enemy is thirsty, they should give him a drink. This would be like heaping burning coals on the enemy's head. That sounds strange. But in those days, if someone was cold, you would give them coals from your fire to warm them. It was a way of showing kindness that would make the person feel ashamed of their bad behavior.
Paul ended with this big idea. He said do not be overcome by evil. Instead, overcome evil with good. That means evil is strong. But good is stronger. When we choose to be kind instead of mean, love instead of hate, we win. The love of Jesus wins.
This letter is for us too. We can show real love by being kind to our brothers and sisters, by sharing with others, and by praying for people who are hard to love. We can trust God to take care of the wrong things. We can be brave enough to be good even when others are not.
A Curious Question
Why does Paul say to feed your enemy and give him a drink, instead of just ignoring him or telling him off?
Old Testament Connection
Paul's words in Romans 12 come from the Old Testament. He was thinking about the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 25:21-22 says, "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." Paul knew this verse and told the Romans to live it out.
But the biggest example of this kind of love is Jesus Himself. While we were still enemies of God, Jesus died for us. He did not get revenge. He did not pay us back for our sins. Instead, He gave us the gift of forgiveness. Jesus overcame evil with good when He went to the cross. He showed us that God's love is stronger than hate. When we act like Paul said, we are acting like Jesus. We are showing the world what God's love looks like.
Discussion Questions
1. What does it mean to love someone like family? How can you show that kind of love to your brothers and sisters in Christ?
2. Why is it so hard to bless someone who has been mean to you? What helps you do that?
3. How can you overcome evil with good in your own life? Can you think of one way you can try this week?
So What? What Can I Do?
- When someone at school is mean to you, pray for them instead of saying something mean back. Ask God to help you be kind.
- If you see someone who is sad or lonely, go sit with them. That is how you can "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep."
- If you have a snack and another kid does not, share with them. That is how you "contribute to the needs of the saints."
- When you are angry at someone, tell God about it. Let Him take care of the problem instead of trying to get even.
Memorize God's Word
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21
• Do not be overcome shake your head and cross your arms in front of your chest to show resistance.
• by evil make a scary face and wiggle your fingers like a monster creeping toward you.
• but overcome evil pump your fist upward like you are winning a victory.
• with good. open both arms wide with a big smile to show kindness and love.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank you for loving us even when we make mistakes. Help us to love other people the way Jesus loves us. Give us strength to be kind when people are mean. Help us to trust you with our problems and not try to fix everything ourselves. Show us how to overcome evil with good in our everyday lives. In Jesus' name, amen.
Craft or Activity
Kindness Coals Craft
More Supplies:
How to Make the Kindness Coals Craft:
- Cut a paper plate in half. This will be your "coal" base.
- Cut or tear brown construction paper into small, jagged pieces that look like lumps of coal.
- Glue the brown coal shapes onto the paper plate half. Cover the whole plate.
- Tear small pieces of red and orange tissue paper and crumple them into tiny balls.
- Glue the red and orange tissue paper balls on top of the brown coal to look like glowing fire.
- On the back of your plate, write Romans 12:21: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
- Think of one kind thing you can do for someone who has been unkind to you. Write it on the back as a reminder.
Effective Teaching Techniques
For Younger Children: Keep the discussion concrete. Ask them to name a specific person who has been unkind, then help them think of one concrete way to show kindness to that person this week.
Prep Shortcut: Pre-cut the brown paper into coal shapes and tear the tissue paper ahead of time. This saves time and keeps little hands busy with gluing instead of cutting.
Classroom Management: While kids work on the craft, play soft music and ask them to whisper their memory verse to themselves. This keeps the focus on the lesson while hands are busy.
For Older Kids: Challenge them to write a short prayer on the back of their craft, asking God to help them overcome evil with good in a specific situation they are facing.