In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

Simply put, life gets busy for us all! Sometimes, we may find ourselves a little too wrapped up in our own life – what our problems are and what all we need to get done. This can be detrimental to others because we unknowingly tune them out, making us unaware to what someone else may be in need of.

Devotion: Kindness and Generosity

When we are show genuine care for others, we are demonstrating kindness. An attitude of kindness and generosity takes the focus off of own selves and instead, shifs the focus to looking at others. God can use use in a mighty way in the lives of other people!

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)

God often uses us in the simplest, most unexpected ways in the life of someone else. Our job is to show kindness and generosity to every person we come into contact with each day, even the familiar faces. Putting someone else’s needs before our own is essentially the biblical way to be kind. This is easy to do when we make it a point to completely trust God to take care of our needs. Remember to show kindness to everyone you encounter today!

Additional Verses to Further Study Kindness and Generosity

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17)

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Prayer Starter:

“Lord, You have been kind and generous to me. I want to show the same kindness to others. Make me more aware of ways to bless others around me.”

Wishing you all a great week!

God has made us all special, with different traits, personalities, tastes, and with unique gifts. We all have been given spiritual gifts by God’s grace towards us. We don’t get to pick and choose what gifts we are given. In fact, the Bible says:

“It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” (1 Corinthians 12:11).

Devotion: Spiritual Gifts

Time discovering and developing our gifts is very important to the kingdom of God. Keep in mind that our gifts are not meant to be used for personal benefit, but rather to benefit (bless) other people. In turn, the gifts of others are used to bless you! God loves his children working together and building a community through fellowshipping with one another.

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (1 Corinthians 12:7, NLT).

When we don’t fully use the gifts that have been given to us, we disservice others; when others don’t fully use the gifts they’ve been given, they disservice us. It’s vital to take time to not only discover, but to fully utilize your unique gifts in order to bless others each day! Time in prayer will allow God to reveal what special gifts He has placed inside of you.

Additional Verses About Spiritual Gifts:

“Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us.” (Ephesians 4:7)

“Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God’s Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

 Prayer Starter:

 “God, You have given us all unique gifts. Open my eyes to what gifts I have and then teach me how to use those gifts to bless others in my life. “

Wishing you all a great week,

God desires us to be connected to one another. By serving others through the giving of our time, energy, and resources, God’s love is reflected as we point people to Christ. Serving others allows us to experience the grace of God.

The holidays are a time where many of us make it a point to focus on others, but our charge is to serve others every day, not just during the holiday season. Jesus was the ultimate model of grace because although we deserved nothing, He chose to empty Himself for us.

Devotion: Serving Others Humbly

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)

Submitting ourselves to God gives us the ability to accomplish many things, including enabling us to humbly serve others. We are called to do it with a positive attitude; to serve humbly in love.

Putting others first is what God calls us to do. Taking time to reevaluate our hearts, minds, and motives will help us to put things into perspective and to make necessary changes to ensure we are humbly serving others.

The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

Additional Verses to Further Study Serving Others Humbly:

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Prayer Starter:

“Lord, give us the heart to serve others humbly. We ask that You teach us how to serve others, help us to always put the needs of others before our own. Allow us to use our gifts to serve other people.”

Wishing you all a great week!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. (Psalm 100:4)

Many of us are planning, traveling, and busy preparing for Thanksgiving coming up this week. It’s a time of love, thankfulness, and of course, making memories with the ones we love. With all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, being mindful of the true meaning of Thanksgiving is important.

Devotion: Thanksgiving & Gratitude 

Thanking our Heavenly Father, who is the provider of all we have, is top priority. Taking a few moments to simply count our blessings, while also praising the Lord fills our hearts with gratitude. To begin, we can take the time to thank God for His love, kindness, and overall protection in our lives and in those whose lives we deeply cherish.

In terms of gratitude, God’s word instructs us to remember:

in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting (Psalm 107:1).

There is always so much to thank the Lord for! We can be thankful for things that never change, like God’s love for us, our salvation, and His promise to be with us always. These are only a few!

When we are grateful, challenging times can be when we sense God’s closeness and His care for us the most. Chosing gratitude brings us joy!

Additional Verses to Further Study Thanksgiving:

“But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay Salvation is from the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9)

“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.” ( 1 Timothy 4:4-5)

Prayer Starter: 

“Lord, I am thankful! Not just on Thanksgiving day, but each and every day I am thankful for You. You’re my Provider, my Father, and my Friend! You love me unconditionally. I am grateful for the many blessings You give.” 

Wishing you all a great week!