Reading your Bible for today August 7

August 7: John 15:18-27

Key Verse: John 15:21
They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

Devotion:
Have you ever stopped to try and wonder why people don’t like you? Maybe you do know what you have done wrong to others and can understand why some people would not like you – but even when we are ‘good Christians’ the world is still going to hate us because of the way we are! Why? Simple. Because they do not know God like we do.

The more we act like all the other people around us, the more they will tend to accept us into their fold. It may take some time for people to accept you into their community, but if you live a similar life to theirs they will see you as equal. Christ did not come to the earth to show everyone up as being the King of Kings or Lord of Lords. He came as a servant to serve the people around Him – and yet there was still hatred.

When we come as servants into a community, we come to help the people as we can and as we are guided (hopefully we are listening to God for that guidance.) But when we do things according to God’s wishes, there are going to be many who will take offense. We come in and serve people with open hearts and gain friendships quickly through doing so. But the people in the community who have been trying to gain friends through doing things their own way or through pride and greed will take offense – they have not seen the friendships come and they don’t see why! But we can see because we know love.

Christ came to lift the burdens of sacrifice and terror and to leave hope and mercy and love in their stead. He wants us to share our love and show His mercy to give people hope. When we are focused on nothing else other than ourselves, all we see is how things are going wrong in our own little circle. But when we focus on other people we begin to see the hope and love spread which brings so much more happiness than anything we can do by ourselves. Share God, share Christ and spread Hope and love!

Points to Ponder:
Do you focus on your own needs?

Or do you focus on the needs of God’s children?