Being Gracious To All

God created us in love and desires that we love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength and with all our mind and that we love our neighbour as ourselves. 

Jesus said:  You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies.  Pray for those who treat you badly.  Matthew 5:43-44

To illustrate who our neighbour is Jesus told the story we call “The Good Samaritan.”  A man who was beaten up by robbers and left half dead was helped by someone he wouldn’t normally even speak to because he was from a despised ethnic group.

Jesus commended the man and said we should pattern our own behaviour after his example. 

Our world is filled with individuals and groups who hate one another and who speak and act in hateful ways.  Newscasts are full of these stories from wars to street violence.

But the more important question for us today is how do we treat others, particularly those who haven’t treated us well or those, for whatever reason, are not high on our likeability chart? 

From the overflow of God’s generosity to us, are we willing to show kindness and respect, and even help to these folks, particularly our enemies?  That’s really God’s challenge to us today. 

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

Psalm 143:10

Loving God, In Your amazing love and grace You have brought us to new life in You, a life of being gracious to all.

It is challenging to know how to be gracious and generous to people with whom we struggle but we come to You today to ask You to show us how to react and respond. 

Help us to take time to try to stop and listen and understand what are often complicated situations. You love every man, woman, and child on this planet and Jesus, You gave Your life for each of them.

In our personal relationships, help us to be those who are first to forgive and reconcile where tensions and breakdowns are evident.

Bottom line, help us to be more like Jesus and be gracious to all.  Amen

What a different place our world would be if we all tried to be gracious to everyone in our thoughts, words, and actions.  Not an easy challenge to put into practice but God is able to help us do it.