Friday Reading: Colossians 3:12-15
Key Verse: Colossians 3:15
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you also are called in one body, and be thankful.
Devotion:
Why does God love us? Because He chose to do so! Love is not something that can be forced upon anyone but it is a choice by which we live. If we exercise our love in a proper manner then we will find that it is much easier to get along with many more people than we expect; it will also change the relationship that you have with those people. God wants us to love one another just as He has shown that He can love us.
Think about all the things that we do wrong and the things that must upset Him; and yet He chose to love us and give us the opportunity to set things right before Him. It is our choice as to whether we want to do that or whether we want to continue floundering in the worldly things and ways that surround us. Changing our temperament to be more like that of Jesus is not going to be easy. If we try to go it alone we will find that we give in to the things around us but if we invite Christ in to help us along the way then we will find that He can give us the strength and guidance that we need to fulfil that love towards one another.
Showing mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness and forgiving others is not a sign of weakness. It is more a sign of strength; a strength that has allowed you to rise above the way of the world and take on the way of Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Following His ways will gives us a peace within our hearts that will continue to give us strength from the inside. That strength will allow us to exercise our love towards others more which in itself will give us a greater peace. Just like we can be caught in a downward spiral of sin and hate, we can be caught in an upward spiral of love and mercy with Christ by our sides.
Points to Ponder:
How do you show others kindness?
How much do you see Christ doing for you?
