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Grace Now

By |2024-09-05T02:33:28-04:00September 5th, 2024|

We hurried to a fast-food restaurant to have lunch together on my friend Jerrie’s short work break. Arriving at the door about the same time, six young men got inside just in front of us. Knowing we didn’t have much time to spare, we grumbled inwardly. They stood as a group at both registers to be sure each of them could order first. Then I heard Jerrie whisper to herself, “Show grace now.” Wow! Sure, letting us go first would have been nice, but what a great reminder to think of others’ needs and desires and not only my own.

The Bible teaches that love is patient, kind, and unselfish; it’s “not easily angered” (1 Corinthians 13:5). “It often . . . prefers [others’] welfare, and satisfaction, and advantage, to its own,” wrote commentator Matthew Henry of this love. God’s kind of love thinks of others first.

In a world where many of us are easily irritated, we frequently have occasion to ask God for help and the grace to choose to be patient with others and to be kind (v. 4). Proverbs 19:11 adds, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”

That’s the love that brings honor to God, and He might even use it to bring others thoughts of His love for them.

With God's strength, let’s take every opportunity to show grace now.

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Help Each Other

By |2024-08-17T02:33:21-04:00August 17th, 2024|

When the basketball team from Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) took to the floor for the college basketball tournament, the fans in the stands cheered for the underdog squad. The team hadn’t been expected to make it past the first round, but they did. And now they heard their fight song blaring from the stands though they didn’t have a band with them. The University of Dayton band had learned FDU’s song minutes before the game. The band could have simply played songs they knew, but they chose to learn the song to help another school and another team.

This band’s actions can be seen to symbolize the unity described in Philippians. Paul told the early church at Philippi—and us today—to live in unity, or of “one-mind” (Philippians 2:2) particularly because they were united in Christ. To do this, Paul encouraged them to give up selfish ambition and consider the interests of others before their own.

Valuing others above ourselves may not come naturally, but it’s how we can emulate Christ. Paul wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (v. 3). Instead of focusing only on ourselves, it’s better to humbly look “to the interests of . . . others” (v. 4).

How can we support others? By carefully considering their interests; learning their fight songs or whatever they might need.

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God’s Generous Love

By |2024-08-14T02:33:27-04:00August 14th, 2024|

He’s known as the military man whose commencement speech about making your bed every day got 100 million views online. But retired Navy Seal Admiral William McRaven shares another lesson just as compelling. During a military operation in the Middle East, McRaven has sadly acknowledged that several members of an innocent family were mistakenly killed. Believing the family was owed a sincere apology, McRaven dared to ask the heartbroken father for forgiveness.

“I’m a soldier,” McRaven told him, “but I also have children. I know how difficult this would be for me if this tragedy happened to my children.” The man’s response? He granted McRaven the generous gift of forgiveness. As the man’s surviving son told him, “We accept your apology, and we will have no more hatred in our hearts for you.”

The apostle Paul wrote of such generous grace: “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). He knew that life would test us in various ways, so he instructed believers in the church at Colossae: “Forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (v. 13).

What enables us to have such compassionate, forgiving hearts? God’s generous love. As Paul concluded, “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (v. 14).

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Welcome Mat

By |2024-08-12T02:33:26-04:00August 12th, 2024|

Browsing through the doormats displayed in my local big box store, I noted the messages stamped on their surfaces. “Hello!” “HOME” with a heart for the “O.” And the more customary one I chose, “Welcome.” Putting it in place at home, I checked my heart. Was my home really welcoming the way God desires it to be? To a child selling chocolate for a school project? A neighbor in need? A family member from out of town who called on the spur of the moment?

In Mark 9, Jesus moves from the Mount of Transfiguration where Peter, James and John stood in awe of His holy presence (vv. 1–13), to healing a possessed boy with a hopeless father (vv. 14–29). Jesus then offered private lessons to the disciples concerning His upcoming death (vv. 30–32). They missed His point—badly (vv. 33–34). In response, Jesus took a child atop His lap saying, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” The word welcome here means to receive and accept as a guest. Jesus wants His disciples to welcome all, even the undervalued and the inconvenient as if we were welcoming Him.

I thought of my welcome mat and wondered how I extend His love to others. It starts by welcoming Jesus as a treasured guest. Will I permit Him to lead me, welcoming others the way He desires?

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Love in Action

By |2024-08-09T02:33:12-04:00August 9th, 2024|

The single mother lived next door to the older gentleman for more than five years. One day, concerned for her welfare, he rang her doorbell. “I haven’t seen you for about a week,” he said. “I was just checking to see if you’re all right.” His “wellness check” encouraged her. Having lost her father at a young age, she appreciated having the kind man watching out for her and her family.

When the free-to-give and priceless-to-receive gift of kindness goes beyond good thoughts or intentions, we’re serving others by sharing the love of Christ with them. The writer of Hebrews said believers in Jesus should “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15). Then, the writer commissioned them to live out their faith, saying, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (v. 16).

Worshiping Jesus by professing His name is a pleasure and privilege. But we express true love for God when we love like Jesus. We can ask the Holy Spirit to make us aware of opportunities and empower us to love others well within our own families and beyond. Through those ministry moments, we will be sharing Jesus through the powerful message of love in action.

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In Small Ways

By |2024-07-27T02:33:29-04:00July 27th, 2024|

When she was struck by cancer, Elsie was prepared to go home to heaven to be with Jesus. But she recovered, though the disease left her immobile. It also left her wondering why God had spared her life. “What good can I do?” she asked Him. “I don’t have much money or skills, and I can’t walk. How can I be useful to You?”

Then she found small, simple ways to serve others, especially her home cleaners who were migrants. She bought them food or gave them a few dollars whenever she saw them. These cash gifts were small, yet they went a long way in the workers’ home currency. As she did so, she found God providing for her: friends and relatives gave her gifts and money, enabling her to bless others in return.

As she shared her story, I couldn’t help but think of how Elsie was truly putting into practice the call to love one another in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us” as well as the truth of Acts 20:35, which reminds us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Elsie gave because she received and was in turn encouraged as she gave. Yet it took little more from her than a loving, grateful heart and a readiness to offer what she had—which God multiplied in a virtuous circle of giving and receiving. Let’s ask Him to give us a thankful and generous heart to give as He leads us!

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Can’t Out-Love God

By |2024-04-30T02:33:07-04:00April 30th, 2024|

When my now-grown son, Xavier, was in kindergarten, he stretched his arms wide and said, “I love you this much.”  I stretched my longer arms wide and said, “I love you this much.” Planting his fists on his hips, he said, “I loved you first.” I shook my head. “I loved you when God first put you in my womb.” Xavier’s eyes widened. “You win.” “We both win,” I said, “because Jesus loved both of us first.”

As Xavier prepares for the birth of his first child, I’m praying he’ll enjoy trying to out-love his son as they make sweet memories. But as I prepare to be a grandmother, I’m amazed at how much I loved my grandson from the moment Xavier and his wife told us they were expecting a baby.

The apostle John affirmed that Jesus’ love for us gives us the ability to love Him and others (1 John 4:19). Knowing He loves us gives us a sense of security that deepens our personal relationship with Him (vv. 15-17). As we realize the depth of His love for us (v. 19), we can grow in our love for Him and express love in other relationships (v. 20). Not only does Jesus empower us to love, but He also commands us to love: “And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (v. 21). When it comes to loving well, God always wins. No matter how hard we try, we can’t out-love God!

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A New Command to Love

By |2024-03-28T02:33:05-04:00March 28th, 2024|

In a tradition starting as early as the thirteenth century, members of the royal family in the United Kingdom give gifts to people in need on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. The practice is rooted in the meaning of the word maundy, which comes from the Latin mandatum, “command.” The command being commemorated is the new one that Jesus gave to His friends on the night before He died: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

Jesus was a leader who took on the role of a servant as He washed His friends’ feet (v. 5). He then called them to do the same: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (v. 15). And in an even greater act of sacrifice, He lay down His life, dying on the cross (19:30). Out of mercy and love He gave Himself that we might enjoy the fullness of life.

The tradition of the British royal family serving people in need continues as a symbol of following Jesus’ great example. We may not have been born into a place of privilege, but when we place our faith in Jesus, we become members of His family. And we too can show our love by living out His new command. As we depend on God’s Spirit to change us from within, we can reach out to others with care, affirmation, and grace.

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Next Step of Love

By |2024-03-22T02:33:10-04:00March 22nd, 2024|

What would cause someone to help a competitor? For a restaurant owner named Adolfo in Wisconsin, it was the opportunity to encourage other struggling local restaurant owners adapting to COVID regulations. Adolfo knew firsthand the challenges of operating a business during a pandemic. Encouraged by another local business’ generosity, Adolfo spent his own money to purchase more than $2,000 in gift cards to give away to his customers to use at other restaurants in his community. That’s an expression of love that’s not just words but action.  

Building on the ultimate expression of love expressed by Jesus’ willingness to lay down his life for humanity (1 John 3:16), John encouraged his readers to also take the next step and put love into action. For John, to “lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (v. 16) meant demonstrating the same type of love exemplified by Jesus—and that would most often take the form of everyday, practical actions, such as sharing material possessions. It wasn’t enough to love with words; love required sincere, meaningful actions (v. 18).

Putting love into action can be hard because it often requires personal sacrifice or disadvantaging ourselves for another person. Enabled by God’s Spirit and remembering His lavish love for us, we can take the next step of love.

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Courage in Christ

By |2024-03-12T02:33:27-04:00March 12th, 2024|

Near the dawn of the nineteenth century, Mary McDowell lived worlds apart from the brutal stockyards of Chicago. Although her home was just twenty miles away, she knew little about the horrific labor conditions that prompted workers in the stockyards to strike. Once she learned of the difficulties faced by them and their families, McDowell moved in and lived amid them—advocating for better conditions. She ministered to their needs, including teaching children at a school in the back of a small shop.

Standing up for better conditions for others—even when not directly impacted—is something Esther did as well. She was the queen of Persia (Esther 2:17) and had a different set of privileges than her Israelite people who’d been dispersed throughout Persia as exiles. Yet Esther took up the cause of the Israelites in Persia and risked her life for them, saying, “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (4:16). She could have remained silent, for her husband, the king, didn’t know she was Jewish (2:10).  But, choosing not to ignore her relatives’ pleas for help, she worked wisely and courageously to reveal an evil plot to destroy the Jews.

We may not be able to take on massive causes like Mary McDowell and Queen Esther, but may we choose to see the needs of others around us and use what God has provided to help them.

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