Saturday, March 2, 2019

 
 
 
Devotional for Saturday, March 2, 2019
“Blessing Others As You Desire To Be Blessed”
 
 
 

do onto others

by Dona Hake
 
 
 Matthew 7:12 (MSG)
“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:
Ask yourself what you want people to do for you,
then grab the initiative and do it for them.”
 
 
I love this translation…in a nutshell it is challenging  us to examine our heart and ask ourselves the question,  What do we desire that people do to or for us,  and then grab the initiative and do it for them.    Have you ever been guilty of feeling you were to say or do something for someone and you dismissed it because it would have been an interruption to your plans?    Or have you ever been prompted to do or say something encouraging, and you experience lack of courage?    Are there times that a potentially hurtful word has been spoken to you, and the Holy Spirit prompts you to just let it go…but you dwell on it instead?     This is all about not taking initiative to just do the right thing in a situation for this is what you would desire for someone to do to you.
 
I have walked away from complete strangers that I encountered in conversation feeling like I was to speak an encouraging word to them but I missed it because I was concerned they may have been offended with my words.   We just never know when the Lord is positioning us to speak blessing and encouragement to a person or even a complete stranger  that is in real need.   After all…if we were in a place of being  discouraged, and a timely word of encouragement came, isn’t that what we would desire.
 
May this remind us to stop and take initiative to just do the right thing.   Sometimes doing the right thing to someone is being a blessing even when we feel they do not deserve it.   Sometimes speaking words of encouragement out of obedience is when we struggle with the thought, “Is this just my thoughts or is this You Lord?”   Oh that we do not reason and talk ourselves out of doing good things in the Name of our Lord.  Our Lord is all about getting into the tiny details of every one of our thoughts and actions.
 
We just need to stay aware of what our Lord is seeing, for too many times we miss the hurts and needs around us because we are too consumed by our own needs.   Let’s  make this scripture a prayer over our lives.    In everything, in every circumstance, do to others as we would have them do to us.   I believe these words spoken by Jesus are those of power and they are meant keep our hearts challenged in the love walk and live by this godly principle.