Reading your Bible for today August 30

August 30: Romans 15:4-6

KJV Key Verse: Romans 15:5
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another* according to Christ Jesus:

Devotion:
How many times do we pick our friends because of their stature in society? How many times do we shy away from certain people because they do not fit into the same circle of society as us? Are we doing the right thing? No! If Christ had stuck to His circle of people (the Jews) then none but the Jews would have been able to go to heaven because they would have been the only ones whose sins would have been forgiven. Instead, Christ opened His heart for all of mankind.

Whilst it will still be hard for us to allow our enemies into our lives as friends, we can make a start by not just sticking to our own circle of friends but taking a look at other people in society. What about the people who cannot live as we can just because they do not have the same opportunities? What about the people who cannot mix with others as we can because they do not know the right people? You see, just as we think we have problems in our own little world, there are others who have problems in theirs. We do not hold the exclusive rights to being left out of something!

Yes, our first place is to start by showing everyone that they have the right to be able to like us because we will not turn others away; but we have to remember we are not the only ones who live the way we do nor are we the example by which all others should live. We can try to be that example, but there will always be someone who cannot. We need to open our eyes to other people’s situations so we can find out why they cannot do what we can. Understanding someone may be the first step towards being able to show them we love them and that they can love us. Christ had a head start there because He already knew us – but that did not stop Him from loving us and showing us His awesome love and care for us even though we are nothing like Him!

Points to Ponder:
What is your first step towards selecting friends?

Are you giving others a sample of Christ’s love?