S
stevi_holy
Guest
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Creator in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
God calls us to be this world's priests not it's critics. Too often we are like the two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their shops were across the street from one another and although they were both members of the same church they constantly feuded. Finally God had enough so two angels were dispatched to resolve the feud.
The angel went to one shopkeeper and said: "Listen, God has had enough of this fight so I'll tell you what we're going to do. We are going to answer all of your prayers. Whatever you want you can have. The only condition is that whatever you ask for we will give double to your rival. If you want wealth, it's yours but she will get twice as much. If you want strength, you can have it, but she becomes twice as strong. The shopkeeper thought for a moment and then prayed, "Lord make me blind in one eye."
That seems to be the personal style of so many of us. We let our anger, or negativity poison our own wells. So rather than being able to offer a cup of God's graceful love to others all we can offer them is the same bitter water from which we have been drinking.
A woman driving a red Honda created a traffic jam on the San Francisco Bay Bridge one day. It seems that she paid the toll for the next six cars behind her. Traffic backed up because none of those cars could believe that someone would do that for them. She didn't even know them!
You see, that woman was a Christian and that morning in her devotional she had read a challenge that said: Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty. She was giving it a try. What would happen if we did that every now and then? Could it be that our whole world might be moved just a bit closer to heaven by a thousand people practicing random kindness and senseless acts of beauty?
Isn't it worth a try? Throughout today, though you may encounter a world that is bitter and angry, see yourself as a missionary of kindness and compassion. Who knows what miracles might happen if for just a moment the world was just a bit kinder and more merciful?
Let us prayer: Dear Lord, you have blessed us so much there aren't enough ways to say "I love you". Today guide our actions so that they express our love and gratitude. Open our eyes to those who need an act of kindness to remind them that you love them. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God calls us to be this world's priests not it's critics. Too often we are like the two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their shops were across the street from one another and although they were both members of the same church they constantly feuded. Finally God had enough so two angels were dispatched to resolve the feud.
The angel went to one shopkeeper and said: "Listen, God has had enough of this fight so I'll tell you what we're going to do. We are going to answer all of your prayers. Whatever you want you can have. The only condition is that whatever you ask for we will give double to your rival. If you want wealth, it's yours but she will get twice as much. If you want strength, you can have it, but she becomes twice as strong. The shopkeeper thought for a moment and then prayed, "Lord make me blind in one eye."
That seems to be the personal style of so many of us. We let our anger, or negativity poison our own wells. So rather than being able to offer a cup of God's graceful love to others all we can offer them is the same bitter water from which we have been drinking.
A woman driving a red Honda created a traffic jam on the San Francisco Bay Bridge one day. It seems that she paid the toll for the next six cars behind her. Traffic backed up because none of those cars could believe that someone would do that for them. She didn't even know them!
You see, that woman was a Christian and that morning in her devotional she had read a challenge that said: Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty. She was giving it a try. What would happen if we did that every now and then? Could it be that our whole world might be moved just a bit closer to heaven by a thousand people practicing random kindness and senseless acts of beauty?
Isn't it worth a try? Throughout today, though you may encounter a world that is bitter and angry, see yourself as a missionary of kindness and compassion. Who knows what miracles might happen if for just a moment the world was just a bit kinder and more merciful?
Let us prayer: Dear Lord, you have blessed us so much there aren't enough ways to say "I love you". Today guide our actions so that they express our love and gratitude. Open our eyes to those who need an act of kindness to remind them that you love them. In Jesus' name. Amen.
