There is an interesting passage in Romans in the Bible.

Romans 12:9  Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

We all pretty much know what hypocrisy means.  At least, I hope we do.  So, what does love without it look like?

Well, for starters, it detests utterly - evil.  That is what it means to abhor evil.  It has no tolerance for it.  Love also clings to what is good.

But love without hypocrisy also has other traits to it.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Love without hypocrisy is a beautiful thing.

I love being kindly and affectionate with a brotherly love description.  Who wouldn’t be blessed to see more of that?  What would the world think if they beheld the believers honoring each other and giving preference to one another?  Not that it doesn’t happen now, but what if it were amplified to be more inclusive among believers and not just offered to a special few?

I also like not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, and serving the Lord.  This denotes it is less about me and more about Jesus!  There is a call for every believer to find their place in serving Jesus and see it as their greater purpose in life.  To do so is to own and walk in love without hypocrisy.  It purifies our motives when interacting with others.

I love rejoicing in hope because it moves us beyond saying we have hope.  If we truly have hope, it should free us to rejoice in it.  There should be freedom to exhibit the joy of hope!

Patient in tribulation.  That’s a challenge, but when love is real, it can override our tendency to be anxious and hurried about the troubles that come against us.

Love makes me pray more than ever for those I love and care about.  It leads me to pray more for others than I do myself.  But it takes me further than just praying.  It moves me to do something where the Holy Spirit reveals I can.  It helps me to know how to distribute to the needs of the saints and be given to hospitality.

Finally, love without hypocrisy can bless those who persecute me.  I am not inclined to call down fire from heaven on them but rather to pray for them that they might be blessed.

When viewed from any other lens but love, these traits of love seem daunting and intimidating.  But when the pure motive of love is at work, it empowers these characteristics.  That is why it starts with the word let.  Allow it!  Allow love to be free from everything that wishes to limit it.