Standards (morning devotion)

Romans 13-14

On many occasions, the Lord has questioned where are my standards and how high are they really. On the moment I thought I have finally held myself to a Godly measuring stick, a scripture will popped out to show me how deprived I really am, and the only reason why I am still in this game is because the grace granted to me reaches deeper than my depravity.
The first part of what I read relates to the government. Instant thoughts about home starts popping up in my head. Often I find myself trying to qualify someone or something under Gods standards, and when it does not qualify, I abandon it. Today I am reminded that nothing happens without God qualifying it. And it is also applied to Malaysian government. Instantly, I know God is saying the approach I take towards home government is one closer to hate than it is to love. I speak of how much I love Malaysia and its people. Now, I wonder how much do I hate the government. What approach should I take...
The second part relates to people. Love thy neighbor. Love does not harm, therefore fulfills the law. I want to fulfill the law. But I know I have a list of people I want to deal great harm to. Be it minor or major. Once again, I am reminded that the Lord concerns the mensrea (evil mind) more than the actus reus (acts of evil). Unlike doing good. God wants to see acts more than thoughts.
the next 4 verse is the closing 4 verses of chapter 13.  Putting on Christ. Right before reading the last 4 verses, on a facebook page appears the words of Corinthians 7. Live as though you have nothing. (interpret not as dis-ownership, but wanting nothing. One of the things Paul added in was marriage. Married people live as though they are not married. This part be confusing. Paul here is not dealing with the uniting of a man and women in marriage for the purposes of God and intention of God. Paul is dealing with "passion". In reference to that, marriage was used as a solution to not sin in passion. But originally the purposes of marriage should be discovered in genesis. And that bears an entirely different meaning all together. Do not live in lewdness and lust. Lust at the first to my understanding pointed to physical carnal desires of the heart. But as I come to understand it further, lust points at something more. Carnal desires. Physical, spiritual, mental, psychological. A sudden questioning of the way I even approach people came about as well. The question that comes to mind is do I desire from people what should be from God? that intimacy level in a relationship to a peculiar extend is lustful too. Amuses me about the perverse ways man conducts himself within the boundaries of relationships however pure, always leading to a demented ending. To not enter into a marriage without thinking of lust. Now that is difficult. Try thinking of never having sex with your partner after marriage. Even by law, no sex = no consummation of marriage. Everything of this world points in the opposite direction of what God intends. Most obvious is the perversion of the understanding of one of humans most sacred covenant. marriage.
Finally. The art of love is sacrifice. To know permissibility to execute or prevent a peculiar conduct is a revelation that should not be let go of. To renounce the right to execute or prevent a right is love. One must have a right to forfeit to know value. One must forfeit a right to know love. The bible used eating and drinking as a simple analogy though its reference points to necessity. What we find necessary for ourselves. Give it up for another? (this is not saying to give up your walk with God for another person.)