Romans 2:4 (NASB)
4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:4 (TLB)
4 Don’t you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.

Romans 2:4 (MSG)
4 Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

I should put these versions of the Roman’s verse somewhere I can read them every day. There is probably nothing that makes me more critical of others than a weekend with a large family gathering. I guess I expect family to have more grace than friends, neighbors, or even strangers. I forget that it is how I respond that is important. In fact, it isn’t so much what we do, but why we do it. If the motivation is right with God, then our actions will generate the right response.

Martin Luther once said that neither we nor God need our good works, but our neighbors do. I think his definition of neighbors include friends, strangers, and even family. Even if he didn’t mean that, I’m pretty sure that God does.

And it doesn’t help to just work harder. It doesn’t last. Paul was telling the Romans that. We have to go to the throne and repent and let God change us. Then we can love our neighbors first and our actions will be what God wants.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Chris McKean