11 Also, make it your goal to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you, – 1 Thess. 4:11 ISV
1 Thess. 4:9-11 ISV
God hates sin, all sins, but He loved sinners enough to send His Son to die for us. And not just die, but to be crucified cruelly and mocked publicly. This is His example to us of how much we should love others, not just family and friends, but also strangers and enemies. The people that Paul was writing to at this time were those who gave of their resources to others who had needs and also gave to support Paul in his missionary work so that he could meet the spiritual needs of others and spread the gospel. How do we show our love for Jesus? By being obedient and helping those in need. Not just physical needs by giving of our resources, which we should do, but also giving of our time in caring for those with spiritual and emotional needs. A smile, a handshake, a hug, a word in season, a minute listening are all gifts that we can give each other and they are often much more appreciated than any monetary gift that we could give. These gifts we can give over and over since they don’t affect our budgets. So, we can do more and more. We need to be very careful of how we spend the time God has given us. The majority of our time should be spent in doing those things that will win the respect of outsiders and build up the Kingdom of God. By making it a habit to do these things, we will soon find that it is our heart’s desire to do them more and more. Not only will we receive a great blessing here and now, but we will also be laying up treasures in heaven.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matt. 6:19-21 NIV
“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous
Morning Meds (Take 1 each Morning with all the Prayer You Need) 
“A smile, a handshake, a hug, a word in season, a minute listening are all gifts that we can give each other and they are often much more appreciated than any monetary gift that we could give.” These are such powerful ways to share the light and love of Jesus. I don’t know if it’s the advent of electronic devices or the isolation of Covid or the combination of both, but I see more than ever how starved people are for genuine human interaction. While walking my dog at a park last month, I fell into step with an older gentleman and his dog. I just listened as he told me of his life and shared his burdens. When we parted ways, he apologized for talking so much and thanked me for listening. I thanked him for sharing and told him that I now knew how I could be praying for him.
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Amen to that, we live in the midst of a society of lonely people. God give us creative ways to touch these people and be there for them..
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This post is especially appropriate for these times. We these positive points of contact more than ever. Thanks, Wally.
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