But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant).
- Luke 6:35
Has God ever asked you to do something really special for somebody who hurt you? If so, I am sure that like me you found it very difficult to do. Perhaps you have spent a lot of time in your life blessing someone who never blesses you in return. In that case, don’t become bitter but trust God to reward you.
Some of us are a little more naturally disposed toward kindness than others. Many of us find we can be kind to those who are kind to us, but we run into trouble with those we don’t think deserve kindness. God delights in being kind to those of us who don’t deserve it. Actually, kindness isn’t even kindness unless it is extended toward the undeserving.
End your day by being kind to someone.
Courage or Cowardice?
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.”
Luke 23:22–24
Edmund G. Ross of Kansas had only been in the United States Senate for two years when he faced one of the most important decisions of his life. President Andrew Johnson had been impeached by a Congress filled with those who opposed his position on reuniting the nation following the Civil War. Thirty-six votes were needed to convict Johnson and remove him from office, and the vote counters knew they had thirty-five certain votes for conviction. They put enormous pressure on Ross to be the deciding vote, but he insisted on hearing all of the evidence before reaching a conclusion.
When the day came, Ross voted “not guilty,” and by one vote Johnson retained his office. Of the crucial moment when he cast his vote Ross later said, “I looked into my open grave. Friendships, position, fortune, and everything that makes life desirable to an ambitious man were about to be swept away by the breath of my mouth, perhaps forever.” Ross lost his Senate seat in the next election and was ostracized by those who had once been his most ardent supporters. But he did what he believed was right and was vindicated by history.
There are times when doing right comes with a high price. In those moments if we consider the price that Jesus paid for us, we will find strength and courage to do right. God does not promise us painless service, but He does promise rewards to those who are faithful.
Luke 23:22–24
Edmund G. Ross of Kansas had only been in the United States Senate for two years when he faced one of the most important decisions of his life. President Andrew Johnson had been impeached by a Congress filled with those who opposed his position on reuniting the nation following the Civil War. Thirty-six votes were needed to convict Johnson and remove him from office, and the vote counters knew they had thirty-five certain votes for conviction. They put enormous pressure on Ross to be the deciding vote, but he insisted on hearing all of the evidence before reaching a conclusion.
When the day came, Ross voted “not guilty,” and by one vote Johnson retained his office. Of the crucial moment when he cast his vote Ross later said, “I looked into my open grave. Friendships, position, fortune, and everything that makes life desirable to an ambitious man were about to be swept away by the breath of my mouth, perhaps forever.” Ross lost his Senate seat in the next election and was ostracized by those who had once been his most ardent supporters. But he did what he believed was right and was vindicated by history.
There are times when doing right comes with a high price. In those moments if we consider the price that Jesus paid for us, we will find strength and courage to do right. God does not promise us painless service, but He does promise rewards to those who are faithful.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we are not willing to take a stand and pay the price, we will not do what is right when it matters most.
A Kind Reward
by Joyce Meyer - posted October 28, 2016But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant).
- Luke 6:35
Has God ever asked you to do something really special for somebody who hurt you? If so, I am sure that like me you found it very difficult to do. Perhaps you have spent a lot of time in your life blessing someone who never blesses you in return. In that case, don’t become bitter but trust God to reward you.
Some of us are a little more naturally disposed toward kindness than others. Many of us find we can be kind to those who are kind to us, but we run into trouble with those we don’t think deserve kindness. God delights in being kind to those of us who don’t deserve it. Actually, kindness isn’t even kindness unless it is extended toward the undeserving.
End your day by being kind to someone.
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