New Year Devotional: Selah Compassion ConversationsSample

Planning to Bless Others

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”    

—Acts 20:35   

Selah 

Kindness is one of the greatest tools for revolution in our current age. We live in an era of information and petitioning. Every day we process request after request, story after story, and this has heightened our senses.

The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor, and we are moved by kindness. This verse in Acts encourages us to understand the motive of giving. The apostles grappled with the reason why we bless another.  

What if the kindness towards those in need we are called into is motivated by, and reminds us of the words of Christ, “for it is indeed more blessed to give than receive?”  

Make plans to bless others this coming year.

Reflection Question:

How can we bless someone with kindness this coming year?  

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,  

Help us to remember the kind of work that you are calling us into. One that reflects the weak, one that blesses others without the agenda to receive. Have mercy on us when we get this wrong. Help us to reframe the motivations of our offerings this coming year.   

Amen