kindness

[sugarssweetpea]

Saturday, December 9

This week's promise: God is always ready to help us and expects us to help others

Reflecting Christ

"…you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 NLT"

Clothed in kindness

"A doctor once stepped into a taxicab and discovered an unusually friendly driver.…he asked the man why he was so cheerful. "It all started," he said, "when I heard about a taxi driver who was so kind to a passenger that the man remembered him in his will, leaving him $65,000. I thought I would try it, and maybe somebody might leave me something. But after I tried it, I found it was so much fun being good that I decided I would do it for the fun of it, reward or no reward."

The world would certainly be a more cheerful place if we all had such good dispositions. Imagine walking down the street and seeing nothing but smiling faces.…

Life is not a bed of roses, and most people are too happy to let you know that. That's what we tell ourselves when we want to appease our guilt on those dark and dreary days. I'm not the only one who's had a bad day, we think. People are just going to have to understand.

Maybe they do, but how does Jesus feel about it? Kindness should flow out of the life of a Christian. The world has an excuse to be angry, but we don't. Redeemed people should act like they're happy to be redeemed.

This is what separates believers from those who haven't discovered the goodness of Christ. We have a reason to rejoice. We have a standard to uphold. We have a Savior to pattern our life after.

from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 86"

This is something that I personally need to try to remember. I seem to always get caught up in the why me syndrome & get caught up in the negativity of every situation. This daily devotion has spoken to my heart. -SSP

[cmc]

Hi,
That's a good message. I have learned to think.."Why not me?" as if I thought no bad thing could be happening to me..but it could to anyone else. What is my testimony to others if my neighbor handles calamity better than I? I am held to a higher standard, but the good thing is that I do have the Lord within me to help. His Spirit dwells within and gives strength, where my neighbor may be going it alone.