Be generous

     Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
       when it is in your power to act.
     Do not say to your neighbor,
       “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”—
       when you now have it with you.
        ~ Proverbs 3:27-28


Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Mt 7:12). The Golden Rule. I’ve been taught this since I was young. So many people have. But do we really live it out in our lives?
I feel like a lot of people these days are just out for themselves. They don’t want to do something if they can’t see any extrinsic value. They’re loathe to make a sacrifice for someone else, especially if doing so means the other person gets the upper hand.
Do we need to go around giving away everything? Not necessarily, but have a little love, have some compassion. Not everything has to make your life better. Helping someone has intrinsic value. If you have a heart of love, taking the intrinsic over the extrinsic really isn’t a sacrifice.
This isn’t just about giving stuff to people. It’s about love (1 Cor 13:3-7). It’s the lady who pays for the person in line behind her at Starbucks. It’s the man who holds the door open for a woman. It’s the person who stops to help someone change a flat tire. Sometimes it’s called chivalry or common courtesy or being a lady or gentleman. God calls it love.
Be generous (more than simply “don’t be stingy”). Help out a brother. Spot your friend some cash. Give someone a ride. Don’t miss an opportunity to give something to someone, even if that means you do without it. Who cares if you’ll never be repaid, reimbursed, or recognized (Lk 6:35)? Go out and help somebody.
What can you do today to bless someone and show them love?

Read further:
Proverbs 3:27-28; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12; 1 Corinthians 13:3-7; Luke 6:35

Jesus Way

     To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
       in you I trust, O my God.
     Do not let me be put to shame,
       nor let my enemies triumph over me.
     No one whose hope is in you
       will ever be put to shame,
     but they will be put to shame
       who are treacherous without excuse.
     Show me your ways, O Lord,
       teach me your paths;
     guide me in your truth and teach me,
       for you are God my Savior,
       and my hope is in you all day long.
      ~ Psalm 25:1-5


What way do you follow?
Follow the Jesus Way. Let Jesus be your role model. When reading the Gospels, what aspects or actions of Jesus Christ stand out to you, and what is God telling you in this? God has shown me Jesus’ love, His servant nature, and that He lived to bring glory to God’s Name. Where am I showing love? Am I being a servant as Christ was a servant? How am I glorifying God’s Name? Am I even glorifying His Name? God may speak to you about the same issues or different ones entirely. Read the Bible and engage God. Ask Him to show you how He wants you to change.
When you do this, don’t get caught up in a to-do list where you simply check off items to feel satisfied. Doing that could be a burden or a stumbling block, or both. Who you are in Christ is a matter of the heart.







Read Psalm 25

God and you

     Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
     the Lord will hear when I call to him.
      ~ Psalm 4:3

You’re not just another tool in God’s workshop or another crate in His warehouse. Everyone of you is special to God. He loves you and hears you. He won’t just ignore you or leave you. He knows and wants what’s best for you, and He’s in a position to do something about it! Talk to God, knowing He will hear you, then listen and apply what He says in response.



Read Psalm 4