Abraham Lincoln was known for his kindness to everyone. He was often criticized by his associates for being gracious and thoughtful, considerate, and caring.
On one occasion he was asked, “With all of the power you have, why don’t you destroy your enemies?”
“Am I not destroying my enemies,” he asked, “when I make them my friends?”
Perhaps there is no more misunderstood or misused word in our world today than the word “love.” Nearly everyone has their own meaning for it. For some, it has a “sexual” meaning. For others, it has an “I like to be with you” meaning. And, some see love as demonstrating an unselfish concern for the well-being of others - helping them when they are unable to help themselves or provide the necessities they need to survive.
Paul speaks of a love that is supremely concerned with the best interests and welfare of others. It is a love that makes the needs and concerns of others my very own. It is as though I am saying, “I don’t walk away from the needs of others; I take them with me so I can do something about them. If they have a need, it is my need. If they hurt, I hurt. If they are in pain, it is my pain as well. If they have no food, I will share my food with them.”
As Christians, we must move beyond the feeling, sentimental and emotional types of love to a love that forces us to do what Jesus would do or have us to do for others.
Prayer: Lord, we see in Your life and death the real meaning of love. Strengthen us to live as you lived and to love as You loved so others will see You in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13
The Greatest Of These
Abraham Lincoln was known for his kindness to everyone. He was often criticized by his associates for being gracious and thoughtful, considerate, and caring.
On one occasion he was asked, “With all of the power you have, why don’t you destroy your enemies?”
“Am I not destroying my enemies,” he asked, “when I make them my friends?”
Perhaps there is no more misunderstood or misused word in our world today than the word “love.” Nearly everyone has their own meaning for it. For some, it has a “sexual” meaning. For others, it has an “I like to be with you” meaning. And, some see love as demonstrating an unselfish concern for the well-being of others - helping them when they are unable to help themselves or provide the necessities they need to survive.
Paul speaks of a love that is supremely concerned with the best interests and welfare of others. It is a love that makes the needs and concerns of others my very own. It is as though I am saying, “I don’t walk away from the needs of others; I take them with me so I can do something about them. If they have a need, it is my need. If they hurt, I hurt. If they are in pain, it is my pain as well. If they have no food, I will share my food with them.”
As Christians, we must move beyond the feeling, sentimental and emotional types of love to a love that forces us to do what Jesus would do or have us to do for others.
Prayer: Lord, we see in Your life and death the real meaning of love. Strengthen us to live as you lived and to love as You loved so others will see You in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13
On one occasion he was asked, “With all of the power you have, why don’t you destroy your enemies?”
“Am I not destroying my enemies,” he asked, “when I make them my friends?”
Perhaps there is no more misunderstood or misused word in our world today than the word “love.” Nearly everyone has their own meaning for it. For some, it has a “sexual” meaning. For others, it has an “I like to be with you” meaning. And, some see love as demonstrating an unselfish concern for the well-being of others - helping them when they are unable to help themselves or provide the necessities they need to survive.
Paul speaks of a love that is supremely concerned with the best interests and welfare of others. It is a love that makes the needs and concerns of others my very own. It is as though I am saying, “I don’t walk away from the needs of others; I take them with me so I can do something about them. If they have a need, it is my need. If they hurt, I hurt. If they are in pain, it is my pain as well. If they have no food, I will share my food with them.”
As Christians, we must move beyond the feeling, sentimental and emotional types of love to a love that forces us to do what Jesus would do or have us to do for others.
Prayer: Lord, we see in Your life and death the real meaning of love. Strengthen us to live as you lived and to love as You loved so others will see You in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13
Where Do I Begin?
A company was well known for its highly effective sales personnel. They were able to outperform all of their competitors by their volume of sales, the new customers they attracted, and the loyalty of their old ones.
Once, during an interview, a professor asked the personnel director what he did to attract so many outstanding people to his company. After thinking for a moment he replied, “We give them a water test.”
The professor was surprised. He thought he knew of every pre-employment test available. So he asked, “What is the water test?”
“Well,” he responded, “before we hire anyone, we take them into a room where the faucet is running, the sink is overflowing, and water is pouring onto the floor. We offer the person a mop and say ‘Mop up the water.’ If they begin to mop up the water without turning off the faucet, we know they are poor problem-solvers and decision-makers and they would not be good employees. So, we don’t hire them.”
Too often Christians try to “clean” up their lives without turning “off” old habits and behaviors that lead to sin. If we want to become who God wants us to become, we must turn away from every temptation that can distract, defeat, or destroy us. We can solve the problem of sinning if, when we are tempted, we turn from it and pray, and avoid the appearance of evil.
Prayer: We ask, Heavenly Father, for Your Holy Spirit to “sound an alarm” and get our attention when we face temptation and sin. Give us Your courage to resist! Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Once, during an interview, a professor asked the personnel director what he did to attract so many outstanding people to his company. After thinking for a moment he replied, “We give them a water test.”
The professor was surprised. He thought he knew of every pre-employment test available. So he asked, “What is the water test?”
“Well,” he responded, “before we hire anyone, we take them into a room where the faucet is running, the sink is overflowing, and water is pouring onto the floor. We offer the person a mop and say ‘Mop up the water.’ If they begin to mop up the water without turning off the faucet, we know they are poor problem-solvers and decision-makers and they would not be good employees. So, we don’t hire them.”
Too often Christians try to “clean” up their lives without turning “off” old habits and behaviors that lead to sin. If we want to become who God wants us to become, we must turn away from every temptation that can distract, defeat, or destroy us. We can solve the problem of sinning if, when we are tempted, we turn from it and pray, and avoid the appearance of evil.
Prayer: We ask, Heavenly Father, for Your Holy Spirit to “sound an alarm” and get our attention when we face temptation and sin. Give us Your courage to resist! Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Where Do I Begin?
A company was well known for its highly effective sales personnel. They were able to outperform all of their competitors by their volume of sales, the new customers they attracted, and the loyalty of their old ones.
Once, during an interview, a professor asked the personnel director what he did to attract so many outstanding people to his company. After thinking for a moment he replied, “We give them a water test.”
The professor was surprised. He thought he knew of every pre-employment test available. So he asked, “What is the water test?”
“Well,” he responded, “before we hire anyone, we take them into a room where the faucet is running, the sink is overflowing, and water is pouring onto the floor. We offer the person a mop and say ‘Mop up the water.’ If they begin to mop up the water without turning off the faucet, we know they are poor problem-solvers and decision-makers and they would not be good employees. So, we don’t hire them.”
Too often Christians try to “clean” up their lives without turning “off” old habits and behaviors that lead to sin. If we want to become who God wants us to become, we must turn away from every temptation that can distract, defeat, or destroy us. We can solve the problem of sinning if, when we are tempted, we turn from it and pray, and avoid the appearance of evil.
Prayer: We ask, Heavenly Father, for Your Holy Spirit to “sound an alarm” and get our attention when we face temptation and sin. Give us Your courage to resist! Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Once, during an interview, a professor asked the personnel director what he did to attract so many outstanding people to his company. After thinking for a moment he replied, “We give them a water test.”
The professor was surprised. He thought he knew of every pre-employment test available. So he asked, “What is the water test?”
“Well,” he responded, “before we hire anyone, we take them into a room where the faucet is running, the sink is overflowing, and water is pouring onto the floor. We offer the person a mop and say ‘Mop up the water.’ If they begin to mop up the water without turning off the faucet, we know they are poor problem-solvers and decision-makers and they would not be good employees. So, we don’t hire them.”
Too often Christians try to “clean” up their lives without turning “off” old habits and behaviors that lead to sin. If we want to become who God wants us to become, we must turn away from every temptation that can distract, defeat, or destroy us. We can solve the problem of sinning if, when we are tempted, we turn from it and pray, and avoid the appearance of evil.
Prayer: We ask, Heavenly Father, for Your Holy Spirit to “sound an alarm” and get our attention when we face temptation and sin. Give us Your courage to resist! Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
He's Never There
The family was enjoying a meal together after the morning worship service. Grandmother, always interested in her granddaughter, Sara, turned to her and asked, “What did you learn in church today?”
“Well,” she said after thinking a moment, “I learned that the church is God’s house. But you know, Grandma, I never see Him when I go.”
That makes me wonder what Sara might have been looking for. Surely there were songs and the reading of Scripture, perhaps the people greeted one another and exchanged smiles and handshakes. There certainly must have been sermons about the church being “God’s house” that she had listened to in the past. But Sara was not able to “see” God in what is called His home. Perhaps no one ever explained to her how one might recognize God.
Paul, in describing how Christians ought to “fellowship” said, “Try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.” The problem is not that we do not understand what we are to do, for there are many examples in Scripture about how Christians are to behave. In all honesty, the problem has never been how but actually doing what we understand what God wants us to do.
The early church was known for the loving and protecting, sharing and caring way Christians honored and respected each other. This came from their reverence for Christ and their desire to live lives that pleased Him. Could it be that people looking for God in our churches cannot see Him “in His home” because we lack His compassion and care for one another?
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to reflect Your presence in our lives by the care and concern we have for one another. May everyone who knows us see Your love in all that we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-21
“Well,” she said after thinking a moment, “I learned that the church is God’s house. But you know, Grandma, I never see Him when I go.”
That makes me wonder what Sara might have been looking for. Surely there were songs and the reading of Scripture, perhaps the people greeted one another and exchanged smiles and handshakes. There certainly must have been sermons about the church being “God’s house” that she had listened to in the past. But Sara was not able to “see” God in what is called His home. Perhaps no one ever explained to her how one might recognize God.
Paul, in describing how Christians ought to “fellowship” said, “Try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.” The problem is not that we do not understand what we are to do, for there are many examples in Scripture about how Christians are to behave. In all honesty, the problem has never been how but actually doing what we understand what God wants us to do.
The early church was known for the loving and protecting, sharing and caring way Christians honored and respected each other. This came from their reverence for Christ and their desire to live lives that pleased Him. Could it be that people looking for God in our churches cannot see Him “in His home” because we lack His compassion and care for one another?
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to reflect Your presence in our lives by the care and concern we have for one another. May everyone who knows us see Your love in all that we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-21
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