Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 16, 2023
Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you 45 so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.
Good Morning. Show love to everyone!
We are all God’s children, but we aren’t assembled like robots with all the same looks, parts, and “innards.” Each of us is unique. Praise be to God, our Creator. I laugh when I imagine millions of me walking around. It would be so crowded at all the places I love, and how could you build enough pianos to give us all a place to sit and play? Then I consider the flip side, and I am saddened by the great works of art that wouldn’t exist because I am a poor artist. What would I do when I needed a doctor or dentist?
Think about yourself and the things you do well and those that you don’t. How would the world be if all were focused on the things you do well but lacking all the things you do poorly? Of course, we must not forget the things we simply don’t like to do. If everyone shares an affinity for cleaning, our world would be a stinky, dirty place.
I say all this to remind us that we are all God’s children and have value. We don’t all look, act, or sound the same. Remember when you mimicked someone to annoy them? It would certainly be annoying to have millions of yourself walking around doing, looking, and sounding the same.
God blesses us with infinite differences while maintaining our equal importance within the whole. Love one another! Embrace those who appear different! Within our diversity is great beauty and strength!
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We are too quick to dismiss someone different. Open our eyes so that we might see into their souls. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Accept all God’s children equally.
All Are Needed! Pastor Liz
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