Love Sacrificially

Okay, I’ll be man enough to admit that with my family scattered all over the world it is easy to kind of revert back to an animal instinct way of life. Recently, we had two wonderful friends staying at our house in Georgia. Drew, a Rivers of the World (ROW) staff member, and Katie, a new friend who has helped ROW, were visiting.

One morning we all had breakfast out on my front porch. I was so proud of myself because I had remembered to stand up and pull out the chair for Miss Katie before she sat down to eat her breakfast. This simple gesture reminded me how easy it is for us to forget to be polite.

Break out of your routine today and make an effort to treat everybody you meet as if they were Jesus Himself. Show kindness to strangers, be compassionate to those in need and encourage fellow believers. Hold the door open for somebody, extend mercy when someone cuts you off in traffic and drop a card in the mail to a relative or friend to show you were thinking about them. With very little effort, we could brighten people’s day, every day.

In Hebrews 13:1-3 we are instructed:

“Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

During those times when you don’t feel like being a blessing to others, read Hebrews 13:16:

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

There are those times when being kind actually feels like a sacrifice. We understand what a blessing it is when someone is polite to us so why not extend the same courtesy to others. Sometimes all it takes is a mere smile to lighten someone’s load.

Category: Love, Serving