Wednesday Reading: Luke 6 32-35
Key Verse: Luke 6 35
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Devotion:
So, you think you are just as good as the next person... Well, you probably are! You see, we all do at one time or another do good things. Just doing good things for your friends will ensure that you can stay in your circle of friends. Doing good things for neighbours can be done by anything; it's just keep you as a good neighbour. What is the next step that is going to set you apart from others? Surprisingly easy – expect nothing back.
Key Verse: Luke 6 35
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Devotion:
So, you think you are just as good as the next person... Well, you probably are! You see, we all do at one time or another do good things. Just doing good things for your friends will ensure that you can stay in your circle of friends. Doing good things for neighbours can be done by anything; it's just keep you as a good neighbour. What is the next step that is going to set you apart from others? Surprisingly easy – expect nothing back.
Too many times we go off and do things for others because we are expecting them to do something in return. Too much of our lives are taken up in “I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine”... We always expect someone to do something in return for the things that we do for them. That is human nature. Anyone can do that! To make a difference spiritually, you have to have the right attitude and that attitude is to expect nothing in return for anything that you do. To be totally unselfish!
“But I'm not selfish” cries coming from the back row... If we are only doing something because we expect a return on it, then that is selfish – we are only doing it for our own good. Even if we are only doing it for respect, we are still doing it for personal reasons. Jesus did not go to the cross to demand respect. He went to the cross with love and willingly laid down His own life so that we may have a choice as to what to do. He did not lay it down so that we would feel guilty. He laid it down out of love, nothing more. He does not expect us to do anything (after all, He knows what we are like!). He simply gave us a fighting chance at making the right decision by doing something personal for each one of us. He showed that same attitude to the murderers and thieves as well as the priests and kings...
Points to Ponder:
What do you expect others to do for you?
Have you done something for God lately without expecting a return?
What do you expect others to do for you?
Have you done something for God lately without expecting a return?