Being Kind to Others

Don’t be reluctant to show mercy When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair. – 2 Corinthians 2:7

We all need mercy, because we all stumble & fall & require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other & be willing to receive it from each other. You can’t have friendship/fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness & resentment always destroys it. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally or unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy & grace to create & maintain relationships.

God says: You must make allowance for each other’s faults & forgive the person who offends you. The mercy God shows to us is the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make.

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust & forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust has to do with future. Trust requires a track record & must be rebuilt over time. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately & you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement & accountability.

Look What He is Doing

“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed” – Proverbs 29:18.

God wants His people to be the most blessed! He wants His people to constantly increase so they can live as an example of His goodness. But, in order to partake of everything He has in store for us, we have to be open to what He wants to do in our lives. We have to have a vision for increase. If you’re not expecting favor, or if you just get satisfied with where you are, then you will live below your privileges. But if you will get a vision for increase, a vision for who you are as a child of the Most High God and what He wants to do in your life, you’ll see supernatural opportunities, favor, and increase in your life. Notice what the scripture tells us when we look for what God is doing; you won’t just be “average” blessed or “good enough” blessed. No, as a child of the Most High, you are entitled to be the most blessed!

I encourage you, today, to take time to focus your thoughts on God and His promises. Meditate on His Word and ask Him to increase your capacity to receive all the blessings He has in store for you.

Exercising your Faith

“And when He saw their faith… “- Luke 5:20

Do you know what moves the hand of God? This may surprise you, but God is not moved by complaining and self-pity. He’s not even moved by our needs. Yes, He is concerned about our needs, and yes, He wants to meet our needs, but we have to do our part and invite Him to work in our lives by exercising our faith.

When Jesus walked the earth, oftentimes right before He healed someone, the Bible says something like this, “When He saw their faith…” And so I ask you today, can God see your faith?

When God sees you doing everything you can to get well; when He sees you getting to work a little earlier because you really want that promotion; when He sees you bypass the cookie jar because you’ve been believing to lose weight; when He sees you bite your tongue to keep the peace in your house; when He sees you help others when you really need more help than they do; when God sees your faith, that’s when extraordinary things will begin to happen. Faith opens the door for God to move, so demonstrate your faith today and watch the hand of God move in every area of your life!