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BY: JENNIFER POAD, TX
SIMPLE ACTS OF KINDNESS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
n this industry, it seems like there is always a deal to be made, whether it’s negotiating the price on a steer, figuring out the details of a cow partnership, or deciding which
sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” So many times, when we go out of our way to show someone love,
we have a pre-conceived notion of what the response will be. We want love to be returned or at the very least, appreciated. The passage above reminds us that loving the people that are difficult to love is part of being a Christian. Doing things for these people to show them love with no expectations is hard. We want to turn it into a business deal. We envision some kind of reward for our actions, but this isn’t what love is about. Love is about freely giving with no expectations and praying that the other person may see Christ through us. Most of the people that are hard to love are fighting internal battles,
but a simple act of kindness toward them can make a difference, even if we can’t immediately see it. We don’t show them love because of who they are, but because of who God is and that is where we find the reward. The next time you put yourself out there and show kindness or present a gift to someone to show them love, remember that God didn’t have to love us either. It wasn’t a business deal when he sent His Son to die on the cross for us. We were not worthy, and we didn’t earn it. Our salvation is free to all that believe. •
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kid is going to get to show which animal and why. It seems like everything we do is tied to incentives for one thing or another, but thankfully, love doesn’t work this way, even though sometimes we feel like it should. The Bible teaches us in Luke 6:32-36 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even
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