Friday, February 16, 2024

Friday, February 16, 2024
1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Love is the reason that the Lord of heaven came down to earth, and love is the mission He’s entrusted to you and I. The two greatest commandments, according to Christ, are to love God to the fullest, and to love your neighbor as yourself. If you don’t love the Lord, why would you follow His commandments? Why would you care about the people in your life, especially the ones you don’t like? Give your heart to Christ, and love because He first loved you.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Thursday, February 15, 2024
1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

When someone wrongs you, revenge feels only natural. Why shouldn’t you give them a piece of your mind, or a taste of their own medicine? And yet, Christ never taught anyone to retaliate. On the contrary, He taught His disciples to love their enemies, pray for their abusers, and bless those who cursed them. How did you respond to the last person who cursed you? Kindness feels backwards when you have been wronged, but Jesus promised that the heavenly reward for repaying evil with good is worth enduring for.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Luke 6:31
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

This simple “golden rule” is the basis of kindness and love. Ideally, we should all be able to love one another genuinely and naturally. But we’re all broken, imperfect people, and treating someone as you would wish to be treated isn’t always easy. That’s exactly why love isn’t a trade or a transaction, but instead, it’s a choice to prioritize someone else over yourself. If you would wish for mercy, show it to someone who doesn’t deserve it; if you would wish for grace, be willing to give it to anyone who asks. It’s this selfless love that Christ commands us to show others, and which He put on display when He paid for the sins of the world.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

If you are only kind to those who are kind to you, what sets you apart? If you only give expecting to get something back in return, what reward will you have in Heaven? Jesus made a lot of enemies in His day, but He mistreated none of them. Even as He was being nailed to a cross, He prayed “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Christ first loved you, even before you knew Him… when you were an enemy of God. Forgive others, as you have been forgiven, and be kind to the ungrateful and evil, as He was kind to you.

Monday, February 12, 2024

Monday, February 12, 2024
Proverbs 11:17
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.

Culture would tell you that “living for yourself” is the key to a happy life, but the Bible would disagree. God has made you for far more than just self-gratification. He created you with a capacity for love, to love your neighbor as yourself and to love God with all your heart. No matter how many temporary pleasures and fleeting joys you fill yourself with, nothing will ever take the place of genuine love. Be selfless toward others, treating them the way you would wish to be treated, and pray that Christ would make His affection known to others through your kindness.

Friday, February 9, 2024

Friday, February 9, 2024
1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

For those in Christ, suffering is temporary, but heaven is eternal. Jesus never taught that life would be easy following Him, but He did promise that eternal life was worth suffering through anything for. And your suffering isn’t meaningless; God weeps with you when you’re hurting, but for every tear He has a plan. He will use your darkest moments to strengthen you, establish your faith, and show you firsthand the kind of Father He is. You have been called to eternal glory by Christ Himself, and He is on your side. What kind of suffering could outweigh that blessing?