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Romans 12:9-10

罗马书 12:9-10

The Passage

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one another;

In the other language

爱人不可虚假。恶，要厌恶；善，要亲近。爱弟兄，要彼此亲热；恭敬人，要彼此推让。

Theme

Sincere love

Bring a question to this passage

Many readers arrive here from a real question. These are reflections for how this passage speaks to the questions people bring most often — not an answer about what will happen, but an invitation to sit with it slowly.

How do I face this season of pressure at work?

Pressure at work can make appearances feel more important than honesty. This passage does not give you a plan for managing deadlines, but it does name a way of living within them: sincere love, a refusal of evil, and a steady attachment to what is good. Its call to affection and honor belongs to the community of believers; it also invites you to consider how you treat people when you feel stretched. You do not have to pretend that everything is fine to act with integrity. Nor does honoring others require calling harmful behavior good. This passage offers no plan for managing pressure. When in your working day might you make room for sincere love and honor without pretending that harmful behavior is good?

Carry thisSincere love leaves room for honesty and honor.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

I want to learn to love better in this relationship.

Sincere love is the starting point here: affection without hypocrisy, joined to a clear refusal of evil and a steady attachment to good. Wanting to love better is not simply wanting to sound kinder. It may involve noticing where your words and your intentions have drifted apart, or where keeping the peace has meant ignoring harm. Tenderness and moral clarity belong together in this passage. Honoring the other person means taking their dignity seriously, not treating their needs as an inconvenience or your own as worthless. In this relationship, where could your love become more truthful while remaining tender?

Carry thisLove can be both tender and clear about harm.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

What do I need to let go of in the coming weeks?

Tender affection and mutual honor offer a lens for considering what you might release. This passage asks for love without hypocrisy, a rejection of evil, and a firm attachment to what is good. Letting go, then, is not simply clearing your life of whatever feels difficult. It may mean releasing a polite appearance that hides resentment, or a habit of excusing harm to avoid discomfort. Tender affection and honoring others belong alongside discernment, not instead of it. You can consider these invitations without making every relationship your responsibility to repair. Where has keeping up an appearance begun to take the place of honest love?

Carry thisHonest love can be tender without making excuses for harm.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

How can I find stillness in a busy life?

A crowded day can leave you giving attention everywhere but feeling present nowhere. This passage does not directly explain how to find stillness. It invites you instead toward love without pretense, tenderness, and honor. You can pause before one encounter and notice the person before you. There is no need to perform warmth you do not feel. Ask instead what honest kindness would look like in this moment. Clinging to what is good may mean offering your attention without rushing to the next task. This passage does not directly teach stillness. What if you paused with its invitation to sincere love before your next encounter?

Carry thisSincere love is more than the appearance of being helpful.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

Have a different question?

Write what you are actually carrying right now, and Lectio will answer it with this passage — Romans 12:9-10.

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Romans 12 — in context

3For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

4For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function,

5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

6Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;

7or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching;

8or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives, let him do it with liberality; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.

10In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one another;

11not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

12rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer;

13contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse.

15Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

16Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.

More from Romans

Guided audio for this passage

Romans 12:9-12 · Monday, August 24, 2026 · 12:43

Daily Lectio Divina podcast · Abiding Way Ministries (Sharon Garlough Brown) · abidingway.life · Featured with permission

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