Sometimes we defend our lack of love, kindness, gentleness, patience, and all those other ‘fruits of the spirit,’ in the name of productivity and hard work. But we can’t square it with Christ’s teachings. He said, ‘whatever you want [others] to do to you, do also to them’ (Matthew 7:12 NKJV).
When was the last time you went out of your way to help somebody, expecting nothing in return? Mother Teresa said, ‘A day lived without showing love for others, is a day not worth living.’ Loving people must be a way of life, a fixed attitude, a commitment we make every day. William Barclay said: ‘More people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love than by all the theological arguments in the world. And more people have been driven from the church by the hardness and ugliness of so-called Christians than by all the doubts in the world.’
Have you ever stopped to think that all those little irritations which come your way each day, are just God giving you an opportunity to become more Christ-like? Years ago Chuck Swindoll wrote: ‘What does the Lord do to help broaden my horizons and assist me in seeing how selfish I am? Very simple: He gives me four busy kids who step on toes, wrinkle clothes, spill milk, lick car windows, and drop sticky candy on the carpet. Being unselfish in attitude strikes at the very core of our being. It means we are willing to forego our own comfort, our own preferences, our own schedule, our own desires for another’s benefit. And that brings us back to Christ.’
Have a good day knowing that you are loved!
