October 11: FAMILY

Believe it:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)

Live it:

We can learn three lessons from today’s text.
1. Be loving. Here’s some good counsel regarding relationships: In the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, liberty; in everything, love.
2. Be understanding. An old proverb says: “If you wish to understand another person, walk a mile in his shoes.” It’s easy to label and categorize other people. It’s harder to take the time to understand them. But that’s the right way and it’s what God commands us to do.
3. Be respectful. One way we show disrespect to others is by trying to force them to change. The following story illustrates this concept. A child was standing in the back seat of a car as the father was driving down the highway. His father told him to sit down, but the child refused. After repeated threats, he finally sat down. Then he told his father, “Daddy, on the outside I’m sitting down, but on the inside I’m still standing.” Our objective is not to pressure others to change. We must respect their individuality. We can give suggestions, make recommendations and give counsel, but don’t make demands and threats.

Share it:

Take time today to talk to a person with whom you don’t see eye-to-eye. Ask if he or she has a need for which you can pray, and then make that request to heaven today.

My prayer today: for special people we have invited

-Pray that they will arrive safely.

-Pray that God will help them see for themselves the importance of having a relationship with Him.

from God’s City, My City