Devotional 5-31-19

For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. (John 13:15)

If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. (Romans 12:8)

 We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

I like that Facebook shows what I posted in previous years each day. Recently, a post was from 2013. I had had a cyst removed from my knee, and I was publicly thanking the doctor, nurses, and staff at the out-patient surgery center, plus my daughter-in-law who was my chauffeur, and finally my son, Marty, "who made me a killer peanut-butter and jelly sandwich that was so God."

My first reaction was, "stupid auto-correct," or, "stupid me and my typos." But the more I thought about it, the more I thought maybe it was right on. I would suggest that showing a kindness is a God-thing.

A little thing like a peanut-butter sandwich means a lot to someone who hasn't eaten all day, in this case because of the anesthesia. A simple smile or kind word might be just what someone needs to get them through a hard day. A meal or a visit during a time of crisis can mean the world to someone. God-things.

Does one have to be a Christian to deliver kindness? No, but as Christians, we have the example of Christ and because of his love for us, we are compelled to pass it on.

I challenge you to do a God-thing today.

Anita Gardner Farrell