I hope everyone had a happy father’s day.  And for those men out there who are not actual fathers, be the kind of men your heavenly Father wants you to be.

Forgive one another is a one another command that is linked to other similar one anothers like Bear with one another, Be kind and compassionate to one another, Be kind to each other (and to everyone else), Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another (in love) and Carry each other’s burden.  Forgiveness is much more than telling others that you are sorry, but helping each other every step of the way with humility, kindness, compassion, gentleness, and patience.  How well are you using all these aspects in your forgiveness?

“Rogelio served as our waiter during our weeklong vacation. In one conversation, he credited Jesus for blessing him with Kaly, a compassionate wife with strong faith. After they had their first baby, God gave them the opportunity to help care for their niece who had Down syndrome. Soon after, Rogelio’s mother-in-law needed live-in care.

Rogelio works with joy, often taking on double shifts to ensure his wife can stay home to care for the people God entrusted to them. When I shared how the couple inspired me to love better because of the way they opened their hearts and home to serve their family members, he said, “It is my pleasure to serve them . . . and you.”

Rogelio’s life affirms the power of living with generosity and trusting God to provide as we serve one another selflessly. The apostle Paul urged God’s people to be “devoted to one another in love . . . joyful in hope, patient in affliction, [and] faithful in prayer” as we “share with the Lord’s people who are in need [and] practice hospitality” (Romans 12:10–13).

Our life can change in an instant, leaving us or those we love in circumstances that feel impossible to bear. But when we’re willing to share all God has given us while we wait on Him, we can cling to His enduring love . . . together.”

This was not posted on Monday like usual.  I knew this going into this week because I had much on my calendar the first part of the week and was not in the office long enough to write this devotional.  The idea for this week that has been crossing my mind a lot over these last days in that God is with you in whatever circumstances that you face.  In the good times and in the bad, God is concerned and caring for you.  He loves you no matter what you are going through.  I have seen this time and time again.  And it gives me great encouragement especially in rough times.  You can trust that he will always be with you.

The holy kiss does not have a lot of information or scholarship behind it.  And I wish I could be definitive about it’s meaning.  But I think the message behind this command is that we need to show camaraderie among believers.  We need to let everyone who comes into our fellowship to have a warm and welcoming greeting.  That no one should feel unwelcomed or shunned.  This is based on many of the previous one another commands that we have already looked at and is an extension the love we have received from our heavenly Father.  We are all a part of his family and so a friendly kiss or hug or handshake or pat on the back, or high five or other greetings should reflect this.  It is not just another handshake or hello.  It is a warm, loving embrace whether literal or implied.  So allow your greetings to display how much you care for each other.

I hope every mother had a good Mother’s day.  And even if you did not have a great mother or she may have passed away, I hope you have someone in your life who demonstrates God’s love to you in a motherly way.

  Prayer is a conversation with God, not a formula. Yet sometimes we might need to use a “method” to freshen up our prayer time. We can pray the Psalms or other Scriptures (such as The Lord’s Prayer), or use the ACTS method (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). I recently came across this “Five-Finger Prayer” to use as a guide when praying for others:

Whatever method you use, just talk with your Father. He wants to hear what’s on your heart.

When we have unity and harmony in the church, we are demonstrating who God is in our lives.  When we agree together, we are showing the world that God is more powerful than anything in this world.  Because all the world knows is self.  It does not look out for or respect the opinions of others.  Jesus was the kind of person (as seen in Philippians) who laid himself aside and died so we might have an example of humility to follow.  So let’s try to understand and respect those around us (especially those in the church) so that we too can agree with one another in love.