My wife Carol and I stopped by a yard sale this last Friday to help pick up a kitchen table and a set of chairs my daughter Shayla had acquired. Our friends Jacqui and Kristy were having the yard sale, and they had combined some stuff to sell. Jacqui had given the set to Shayla and it was a tremendous blessing.
We asked how the sale had been going, and Kristy said it was pretty successful considering it was almost a 100-degrees outside, and it looked like it could rain at any moment. She then told Carol and I she was a little disappointed because someone who had stopped by the sale had stolen a baseball glove. Apparently they had first asked how much the glove was, but then after a few moments of looking at the others stuff they got into their car and simply took the glove with them.
We were sorry to hear this had happened, but I quickly tried to encourage Kristy by sharing something I try to remember at times like this. I told her I like how God’s word tells us when we give to the poor we are lending to the Lord. And since everything we have has been given to us from God and is in fact His, then if someone steals from us, whom are they really stealing from? She answered, “God.” I shared with her how I liked this principle because I felt it applied to whether we were giving to others, or if others were taking from us.
We thanked Jacqui for her gracious gift as we got ready to leave and she looked up and smiled as she said, “I gave it to Jesus…”
I think we can alleviate much anxiety from our lives, and perhaps we can even have a greater joy if we would simply appropriate this great truth by applying it to everything we do. If we do everything as if we are doing unto the Lord we can know with confidence He is pleased. And if someone wrongs us either purposely, or by mistake we can choose to forgive them right there and then as if we are doing this for the Lord as well. When we choose to do this we can be confident it glorifies God.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)
I want to encourage you to meditate upon these things today. Let’s make a choice to do everything as if we are going to do it for Jesus—whether we are giving a kitchen table, or grace to those who are undeserving, let’s remember who we ultimately do things for and then simply say, “I’m giving it to Jesus…”
STUDY QUESTION: According to 1Corinthians how are we to do everything?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you doing everything to the glory of God?
APPLICATION: Let’s make a conscious decision today to do every action as if we were doing it for our Lord personally.
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