Month: September 2019

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change the shifting shadows.”  James 1:17 CSB

God is the originator of “Pay it Forward.”  Lots of people throughout history have put it into practice,  Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ray Bradbury. Some people believe the concept developed by the Greek playwright Menander in 300 B.C., but we all know the truth.  God started it when He sent his Son to die on the cross for us, the first act of kindness that we are to pay forward in our daily lives. Jesus then showed us the way with His love and grace in everyday situations.  Just as He turned water into wine (John 2-11 NIV) or healed the guards son (John 4:43-53 NIV) or showed the rich young ruler the error of his ways (Mark 10:17-27 NIV), we are called to follow in His footsteps. Jesus lived His life paying it forward, His ultimate sacrifice witnessed on the cross.  How can we but do the same?

The golden rule is our answer: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 NIV).  What good would Jesus have us pay forward? He would want us to love others, whether Christ followers or not, we are called to love (Mark 12:31 NIV).  We’ve talked about a lot of ways to love this month, and there are many more ways I haven’t mentioned. Loving others is a lifelong process, that can be exhausting at times, overwhelming, even impossible, but with God all things are possible (Romans 8:28 NIV).  Another way we can pay it forward is by forgiving others who have wronged us (Colossians 3:13 NIV). God first forgave us, through His loving grace, we can forgive others. Forgiveness can be hard, especially in circumstances where the offender doesn’t feel like they have done anything wrong, but it is necessary for us to be able to move forward.  As the old adage goes, when we don’t forgive someone who has hurt us, it’s like drinking rat poison and expecting the other person to suffer. The one who is truly suffering is us. Pay it forward by forgiving. Lastly, we pay it forward when we offer hope to someone who needs it. Our hope is Jesus, the easiest way to share hope with someone else is by sharing Jesus (1 Peter 3:15 NIV).   There are multitudes of people who feel like they have no hope in this broken world we live in today. When we share the hope of Jesus, we’re bringing light into the darkness, we’re bringing wholeness to the broken, we’re paying forward what has already been done for us.

As we close out this month of scattering kindness in our world, it doesn’t mean we have to stop.  Statistically, to form a new habit takes 21 days, we’ve had 30. Let’s pray the habit of kindness will stick with us as we move forward in our lives.  Let’s make scattering kindness a way of life, not just a 30 day challenge.

“Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:13 NIV

Hospitality, defined by Webster’s dictionary of 1828 is the act or practice of receiving and entertaining strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality. Sharing food with people is an easy way to be hospitable.  Who doesn’t love donuts? Not only does it share God’s love, but it sets an example for others to do the same. What hospitality really boils down to is thinking about the other person, and that is what God wants us to do.  You may not want to take donuts, maybe fresh fruit would be a healthier choice, but whatever it is you decide to do for your co-workers, you’re letting them know you’re thinking of them.  

Being hospitable builds relationships, it shows people you’re open and approachable.  When people feel comfortable talking to you, you will gain new perspectives into their lives and find other ways to serve them.  Matthew tells us, Jesus came to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28 NIV). When we actively find ways to serve others, we are imitating Jesus.  One inspirational story I found told of a man who noticed a co-worker who was struggling. He noticed he was forgetting things and seemed confused.  He decided to get involved. When he did, he found this gentleman was in early stages alzheimer’s and being taken advantage of financially by his children.  The coworker took him to the hospital to get assessed, helped him find a caretaker to monitor his condition, and helped him get his finances in order with a government worker that would ensure his bills got paid and his children could no longer take advantage of him.  Even more interesting, this man set an example for his son who wrote the article you can read here.  All because he noticed a coworker who was struggling.

There is a phrase which is commonly heard, “bloom where you are planted.”  Often, we don’t think of our jobs as an area where we are planted, but in reality we spend more time at work than we do at home.  Finding ways to serve our coworkers, whether by taking donuts or buying them lunch is one way to bloom where you are planted. Being hospitable at work can open doors to share God’s love in ways you can’t even imagine.  Just as noticing a coworkers forgetfulness helped save a man from elder abuse, God only knows how He may use you right where you are. Take a look around you today at work, who needs help? What is one thing you could do today to bless the people you work with?  Ask God for “eyes to see and ears to hear” (Matthew 13:16 NIV) the needs of the people you work with then start with a donut. Be hospitable, be open and approachable, God will do the rest.

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work.  Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you.  He won’t leave you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished.”  1 Chronicles 28:20 CSB

David is speaking to Solomon in this verse, commissioning him to build the Temple.   God didn’t want David to build it because of his history at war so Solomon got the job.  The Temple took seven years to complete, needless to say, he needed David’s encouragement to not give up.  And so do we. We don’t build the Temple for Ron’s father, but every year we rake his leaves. His Dad has a huge pecan tree in his backyard, leaves fill it completely when they start to fall.  Raking leaves is not one of my favorite things to do. The leaves seem to multiply the more we rake them, it always seems to be an endless job. But it only takes hours, not years, and it’s a way we can serve Ron’s dad.

Physical labor, no matter what it is can be tiring.  When the sun is beating down on you, and there seems to be no end in sight, it is easy to get discouraged and want to give up. But there are multiple benefits to a good day’s work. First off, hard work builds character by developing self reliance and confidence in your ability to get the job done.  The exercise you receive from doing a job is better than an hour in the gym, it helps you keep the weight off. The sense of satisfaction when you look at the completed product is immediate. You burn calories, build self esteem and gain perspective. There are so many things in life we can’t control, but when we finish a physical job, whether raking leaves or mowing the lawn, it gives us a sense of accomplishment no one can take from us.  And doing physical labor is always a good time to pray.

When I’m raking my father-in-law’s leaves it reminds me to thank God for his presence in my life.  I’m grateful for the son he raised who is an amazing husband to me. I’m reminded of Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the Land the Lord your God is giving you.”  I know when I’m serving Ron’s dad I’m doing God’s will, it says so right there in his word. And when it is all finished and the leaves are piled at the curb waiting to be picked up, I feel a sense of satisfaction like no other.  I feel God’s pleasure as well as that of my husband and his father. Whether you rake someone’s leaves, mow their lawn or weed a flower bed, know that it isn’t done in vain. God sees the hard work you are doing and is pleased. Use the opportunity to pray for whoever you are serving, thanking God for their presence in your life and how they have impacted you.  Knowing, God is pleased as you hear Him whisper, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23 NIV).

“At the same time, pray also that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Colossians 4:3 CSB

Paul wrote this verse in a letter during the two years he was chained to a guard in Rome.  He had reports of the church in Colosse being infiltrated by false teachers, his purpose in writing it was to refute the claims they were making.  Even in prison, Paul never lost sight of his mission to share Jesus to the world. Chained to a guard, he found a way to open the door for God’s word by writing letters.  Thank God, none of us reading this are chained to a guard with no where to go. We do however, have to find ways to spread the love of God to others and open the door for conversations with people about God.  One way we can do that is by physically holding the door open for someone. Have you noticed, when you do this small act, it always evokes a conversation? Typically you get at least a thank you, but you never know where that conversation might lead.  Take Josh for example.

Josh is a highschool student who lost his dad.  He had pictures of him in his locker at school. For whatever reason, a group of kids thought it would be funny to rip them down and bully Josh.  As a result, Josh switched schools. But Josh decided he wasn’t going to let the same thing happen again. He wanted everyone to feel like they belonged, he didn’t want people feeling like he felt, so he decided to hold the door open for them.  Day after day, he would hold the door for fellow students, welcoming them to school. The students began to look forward to seeing Josh each day, talking to him, hugging him as he held the door open. This small act of kindness made the students feel like they belonged, they felt like they had a friend.  And they did, Josh was and is a friend to everyone. This one act of kindness led to him being voted prom king. As one student said, “Josh winning prom king felt like we had all won because he made us all feel accepted.” Josh’s kindness of holding the door has led to him becoming a motivational speaker for other students.  Kids come to him with their problems and share with him, because in him they feel they have a true friend. Take 6 minutes out of your day and watch this inspirational video.  Because Josh decided to make a difference, because he didn’t want anyone to feel left out, because he stood and held the door open for his classmates, over 6 million people have watched this video and been inspired.  

No act of love is too small or goes unnoticed.  Today, when you hold the door open for someone, think of Josh.  Think of how you are making that person feel loved and accepted with your smile as you greet them as they walk by.  Think of how you may be impacting their lives in a way you may never know. Think about how this one act of kindness could change the world, one door at a time.  

“And don’t complain as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer.”  1 Corinthians 10:10 CSB

Complaining is a destroyer, both of relationships and health.  A study done by Stanford in 2016 showed complaining actually shrinks your hippocampus.  The hippocampus is the part of the brain that helps us problem solve. In a world full of problems, the last thing you want to do is shrink the part of the brain that solves problems, yet that is exactly what complaining does.  Complaining also releases Cortisol, which is the stress hormone. Too much stress can wear you down both mentally and physically. The Stanford study also found frequent complaining can lead to heart disease and diabetes. Not only does complaining affect us physically, but it also affects our relationships.  Who likes being around a complainer? I know I don’t. People that complain constantly exude negative energy, nothing about complaining is uplifting and encouraging. Instead of building people up, complaining tears people down and it destroys relationships. People won’t want to be around you if you’re constantly complaining.  How can we stop complaining? Will Bowen came up with a way.

In 2006 Will Bowen was the pastor of a small midwestern church.  He was doing a sermon series on prosperity. All of his congregation wanted to be more prosperous, yet they were constantly complaining about what they already had.  Why would you want more stuff to complain about? Will issued a challenge to his congregation. He challenged them to not complain for 21 days. He bought purple bracelets and handed them out to everyone.  The challenge was simple, put the bracelet on either wrist on day one. If you complain, no matter what day you’re on, you have to move it to the other wrist and start all over again at day one. He found it takes the average person 4-8 months to actually go 21 days without complaining.  Since 2006 Will’s movement has given out over 11 million bracelets, he’s written 3 books and has become a leading scholar on complaining. You can learn more about Will’s “Complaint Free World” movement here.  

My challenge is much easier than Will’s, just do one day.  Just for today, don’t complain about anything. If you want a reminder, put a rubber band on your wrist, every time you complain, snap it.  Or try to go 21 days without complaining as Will suggests, you can use a rubber band just as easily as a purple bracelet to remind you of your goal.  Whatever you choose, become more aware of the words you use. Ask yourself, are my words building up or tearing down? If they’re tearing down, re-frame them into a positive statement.  Instead of complaining that it’s raining, yet again, thank God for watering the flowers. If your husband has once again left the sink full of dirty dishes, instead of complaining, thank God you have a husband who provides for you.  Whatever the complaint is, look for the positive side of it, there is always one if we look hard enough to find it. But first we have to stop complaining.

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 NIV

Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do for someone is wash their car.  I recently started listening to the book, “The Remarkable Ordinary: How to Stop, Look and Listen to Life” by Frederick Buechner.  The premise of the book is to listen to your life to find your gifts. In other words, what do you like to do that makes you glad? What do you enjoy doing?  I love to write. I love to write these devotionals, I love to write the papers I have to do for my classes. When I’m writing, I feel God’s pleasure, I feel glad.  For others it may be baking, or singing, or washing people’s cars. We have to listen to our lives to understand how God created us uniquely, each of us with different gifts.  But how do we listen to our lives.

Buechner uses this example to help us understand what he means.  Let’s say you live an hour away from a large city. You drive there often, passing through a smaller town on the way to the city.  You have driven this drive so many times, you don’t even think about it while you’re actually driving. When you drive through the smaller town, you don’t even notice it.  You don’t notice the people walking along the streets, you don’t notice the sales signs in the store or the flowers hanging from the lamp posts. You are on autopilot, just trying to reach your final destination.  By the time you reach the city, you don’t even remember the journey. Buechner says we have to start paying attention to the journey. We have to live in the moment, looking at what is around us instead of being so focused on the destination, we miss out on what is going on right in front of us.  Beuchner would argue, the journey is the destination. When you pay attention to the journey, you begin to understand the things that make you happy, which in turn, helps you understand your gift. 

When you start paying attention to the journey, living in the moment, you notice the people on the street, you notice the sales signs in the window and the flowers on the lampost.  When you notice the people on the street, you see the elderly lady struggling with her groceries. When you pull over to help her get them in her car, you begin to understand you like helping people, it makes you happy.  Because you’ve helped this lady, a desire to help other elderly people is born and you begin to visit nursing homes. You begin to find pleasure sitting and playing a game of checkers with someone who has a lifetime of stories to share with you.  All of a sudden, you have discovered a gift you never realized you had because you paid attention to the journey instead of the destination. God only knows what gifts you will discover you have when you start paying attention to the journey. You may find washing cars gives you pleasure, or maybe it’s babysitting for a friend.  You’ll never know until you take your eyes off of the destination and put them on the journey.

“This is how we have come to know love.  He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 4:16 CSB

I recently watched the movie Book Club about four women who have been meeting monthly for 40 years to have a glass of wine and discuss the current book.  Sharon, played by Candice Burgan is a Federal judge who has not had love in her life for 18 years. Her character explores the world of dating after such a long hiatus.  In one scene she is attending the double engagement party of her ex-husband to a woman half his age, and their son to the love of his life. She inadvertently gives a speech to congratulate the happy couples, and in it she says, what I thought was a poignant definition of the word love.  She says, “Love is just a word until someone gives it meaning.” How right she is.

Over the years, I’ve heard many pastors describe love as a verb; it requires action.  But I had never thought of it as just a word until someone gives it meaning. God gave love meaning when He sent Jesus to create a way for us.  Jesus gave love meaning in everything He did here on earth. From turning water into wine (John 7-11 NIV), to healing the blind man (John 9:6) to saving the woman caught in adultery (John 8-11), He did it all in love.  We give love meaning when we imitate Christ. Mom’s are so good at giving love meaning, they do it so effortlessly. From making their kids breakfast, to washing their clothes and cleaning their rooms, they give love meaning to their children.  Husbands give love meaning when they propose to their wives, hold them when they’re sad or celebrate with them when they’re glad. Friends give love meaning when they sit together over coffee, spend hours on the phone talking or just sit quietly together watching the sunset.  Until someone gives love meaning, it’s just a word.

Leaving money on a vending machine gives love meaning to a stranger, whether they realize it or not.  Praying for someone with a broken heart gives love meaning. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, taking meals to the home bound, sending a card to a sick friend are all ways we give love meaning.  When giving the word love meaning by doing something for another becomes a way of life for us, the world becomes a better place. In the midst of darkness, there will be light. Just as there was light when God created the world, His love for us continues to light our paths.  When we give love meaning, we’re sharing His light with others. Let’s give love meaning today, whether it’s our family, our friends or a stranger on the street, let’s light their path. Is there anything greater we could do with our lives than give meaning to the word love? God gave meaning to my life when He first loved me, He did the same for you.  The least we could do in return is give meaning to love for someone else.

“But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again.  In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”  John 4:14 CSB

This verse comes from a beautiful story found in the book of John.  Jesus is on His way to Galilee when He stops by a well for a drink of water.  He meets a woman from Samaria that had come to draw water and asks her for a drink.  This happens around noon, which is significant, women don’t come in the middle of the day because of the heat. They would come in the morning or evening when it was cooler to draw water.  This woman, came in the middle of the day to avoid the other women because of her scandalous past. Jesus knew all about her past, and loves her anyway. In fact, scholars would argue He went out of His way to meet this woman at the well and offer her the living water He had.  Just as Jesus offered the living water to this Samaritan woman, He offers the same to us. As Jesus has offered Himself to us, we should share what we have been given with others.

Flowing water is necessary for us to sustain life here on earth.  Streams and rivers all over the world connect and flow together into larger bodies of water.  The faster water flows the better it is. Fast flowing water doesn’t allow impurities to build up in it and is easier to convert into drinking water.  In the same way streams and rivers connect and flow together, we do the same as Christ followers. When we all are following Jesus, living out our individual purpose,  whatever it may be, we become unified into one body. We are a spring of living water as we let the love Christ has for us overflow to others around us. We are sharing with them the living water of Christ that will never run dry. The more we pursue life in Christ, the faster our springs will flow, the less impurities we will have as He refines us, the more water we will have to offer to others.

Offering a drink to someone on a hot day could be the start of a new adventure for them, just as it was the woman in Samaria.  The love Jesus extended her helped her find purpose. Immediately she goes into the town, not avoiding people, but instead sharing the good news she had just learned.  As soon as Jesus offered her the living water, she went to offer it to others. We can learn a lesson from her today, let’s share the living water Jesus has given us with those around us.  Let’s give someone a drink on this hot day. Trust that whatever your past is, Jesus has forgiven you. Trust that sharing His love with others is more important than anything else we do. Trust that after just one drink from the living waters, their lives will be transformed forever.

“For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11 CSB

Blake Mycoskie took a trip to Argentina in 2006 that changed his life forever.  He learned, while traveling through the country the importance of shoes for children.  He saw the hardships of life without shoes. There are 7 billion people on the planet, and 1 billion of them do not have shoes.  In some countries, this means children can’t attend school, the risk of spreading or catching a disease from their foot sores prohibits them attending.  When Blake saw this first hand, he decided to do something about it. He developed TOMS shoes, a company that donates one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that is purchased.  At this point in time they have donated over 60 million pairs of shoes to children in 70 countries. From one simple idea, they now provide eye care and glasses, clean water and training for birth attendants with birthing kits.  All because one man saw a need and decided to do something about it.

Jesus tells us, the poor will always be with us (John 12:8 NIV).  Because there will always be poor among us, we will always have the opportunity to be generous, to help them with their needs.  When Jesus says this, He’s referring to the verse above. We are to open our hands and give what we have, which doesn’t necessarily mean money.  We also don’t have to start a company to help those in need, although feel free too if God leads you in that direction. We can just as easily clean out our closets and donate to a worthy cause.  My favorite place to donate is the women’s shelters in our area for women getting out of abusive relationships. There are so many organizations that cherish your support. I love to crochet hats and scarves for one of the homeless organizations nearby.  Every fall, I donate jackets and blankets, the thought of people freezing in our country makes my heart ache. Another way to donate is to local food banks that provide meals. My tennis partner volunteers for a church that provides meals and clothing for those in need.  She is always asking for shoes, that is the primary need they have, especially men’s shoes. 

While researching for this devotional I came across Blue Jeans Go Green.  They recycle your old denim and turn it into insulation for houses.  They have diverted over 1,230 tons of denim from landfills, collected 2,500,000 plus pieces of denim and made  over 4,830,000 square feet of insulation from them. One more way to donate old clothing for a good cause.  Whatever you decide to do, give with a generous heart, knowing you are helping someone else have a better life.  They may be an old pair of shoes to you, but to someone else, they are a gift from heaven for their feet.

“If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed.  Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14 CSB

The verse above is probably the most well known from the book of Esther.  Through a soap opera story line of events, Esther has been tasked with saving the Jewish people. Her Uncle Mordecai is the one imploring her to intervene for them.  In order for Esther to save her people, she needs to go before the King, her husband. The problem is, he hasn’t sent for her in awhile. If he didn’t send for you, and you went before him, even if you’re his wife, he may just kill you.  You can understand why Esther was hesitant to bug her husband. But then good ole Uncle Mordecai sends the verse above to her in a message. How can you argue with his logic? Esther can’t, but she does ask all of the Jews in the land to fast for her mission for three days.  She and her female servants fast as well. After that, she will go to the king. When she does go to the king, God is with her and the king doesn’t kill her, instead he asks her what she wants. Her request was simple, would he come to dinner with Haman? Haman is the one who is trying to get rid of the Jewish people.  Long story short, Esther saves her people, Haman gets what he deserves and life goes on for the Jewish nation. All because she invited them to dinner.

Esther was a wise woman.  She knew how to handle a difficult situation.  She started out by praying and fasting before she did anything else.  I think, although Scripture doesn’t specifically say this, that is where she decided to start with dinner.  I have heard it all my life, the best way to a guys heart is through his stomach. Obviously, Esther was aware of this old adage, or perhaps this is where it started, but either way, she used it to her advantage.  She also knew not to lead with the problem. She realized she had to make sure her husband was in the right mood to hear what she had to say. Timing is everything when we’re communicating, we can learn from Esther’s wisdom.  Wait until the timing is right. If you’re husband has just come in from a long day at work, wait until after dinner to tell him the bad news of the day. Give him time to catch his breath, have a good meal and relax. He won’t feel so bombarded and he’ll be more amicable to discuss whatever it is.  And this doesn’t just apply to husbands and wives, the same is true for any relationship. Ask God to show you the right time and the right way to have a difficult conversation with the person, don’t rush in without His guidance.

Today is the perfect day to start praying and fasting for a difficult conversation you need to have with someone.  Then, do as Esther did, invite them to dinner and enjoy a meal together. See where the Lord takes you.