Devotional for Monday

First off, my apologies for a brief absence on the postings here. No excuses, just, well hit a wall, and did something I rarely do. Put the computer away for 4 days.

Day 8 - if you are keeping track.

Being Intentional about Radical Love.

"Be wise in the way you act with people, making the most of every opportunity. When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should." Colossians 4:5

Love cares about others. That's the theme running through all of this, in case you haven't noticed. The passage above from Colossians is a reminder that we do indeed need to be aware of how we act and speak with people. I'm reminded of the story Pastor Walt Kallestad told of going to a Car Wash, and having the cashier give him change for a $50, when infact, Walt had given him a $20. When Kallestad got out to his car, he realized the error, and walked back inside and said, Excuse, but I think you made a mistake and gave me too much change." The man at the cash register responded, "No I didn't make a mistake. I was at your church on Sunday, and I wanted to see if you really were and honest person."

Like it or not, people who are not a part of the church, the faith, Christianity are indeed watching us. They are hungry for integrity and honesty. I believe they want it. But, they have seen so much nonsense in the name of religion that they are suspicious. Like it or not, they want to know if we Christians are the real deal.

Are you the real deal?

Today's challenge. Pick a small area of your life and fill it with integrity. For instance, if you have a tendency to borrow postage stamps from your place of work, maybe you need to reconsider that practice. Whatever, corners you cut, pick a day to practice integrity. Hey, you never know, you might keep it up