Devotion
We Are Representatives of God’s Love
Chipo Biti
The way we love God is reflected in the way we love the people around us. The Christian life is not a life of selfishness or pickiness, where we choose to stick to ourselves or hang around select people of our liking. There is no room for excluding people when it comes to walking in the love of God. The same way God's arms were wide open for us when we were sinners, is the same way we are to have our arms stretched out wide open to the people around us. The love of God knows no boundaries when it comes to reaching out to people.
The love of God isn't for a certain group of people. It is for anyone and everyone and the only way God's love can reach other people is through us. We are God's representatives on earth and He expects us to do what He would have done.
When Jesus came to the earth He looked down upon no one. He entertained everyone and accommodated them as best as they can. Even though He had many disputes with the Pharisees over their self-righteousness, Jesus never closed them out. He was open to talk to Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), who was a Pharisee. Jesus still spoke to him, counselled him, and taught him about the Way.
The love of God should move us to overlook all offences in order to minister to other people. This is no easy feat but this is why God is with us. This is why the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to love people past the offense they may have caused us.
Loving the people around us is not an option, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. It is a commandment.
God is Love. You cannot claim to be of God if you refuse to love the people around you. The love of God overrides all prejudice and forms of exclusion.
God doesn't expect us to stand on the outside, looking in. He expects us to go in, full speed ahead, loving on anyone we can so that they know that there is a God out here who cares about them deeply.
Prayer
As children of God, it is our duty to exhibit God's love through our words and actions. If we fail to do so, how do we expect to lead more people to Christ?
You cannot reach out to people without the love of God. It is the love of God that compels you to reach out to people in the first place.
Devotion
Pray for Leaders
Frances Taylor
How often do you or I pray for government leaders? Paul doesn't say to pray just for the leaders we like, either. If we do want a tranquil and quiet life, we need all leaders to turn to God and work for justice for all their citizens. It's probably even more important to pray and intercede for those leaders who work against justice, than for those who are already doing the right thing. For those who are already on God's side, we should give thanks to God that they stay in leadership and continue to do God's will. The same goes for city, state, and even church leaders as well as our national and international leaders. Good leaders should be supported and others need to be held to account for their behavior. Obviously different countries have different forms of leadership, but that shouldn't stop us from praying for them. God does listen even if the answer doesn't come as quickly as we might like. In the case of democracies, we sometimes need a bad ...
Morning Prayer
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Inspiration
We cannot allow ourselves envy, for it corrodes not only our relationships with others but also the things we already have. The end result is that we neglect to value and appreciate things already in our possession, and thus in turn, being ungrateful to the Lord himself for what he has provided. Rather, our energy would be better placed to focus on giving thanks to the Lord and his gifts, here and now.
Prayer
To my Lord above, my Creator and Heavenly Father, by your grace do I come to thank you for all I have. Teach me not to covet others and their lot, but grant me instead the ability to Love and see the blessings you have already bestowed upon me. In return for your grace, I thus offer up to you my humblest of gifts, my Lord -my heart in obedience, is yours. Amen.
