Giving Happy Thanks

Today’s scripture: Luke 6:32-38 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Ben Lamb):

“Oh man! I have to be nice to people I really don’t like, ’cause Jesus says I must. It’s there in the Scriptures, plain as day. Where’s a big ol’ eraser when I want one?”

Sadly, the above approach is what I’ve used when thinking about this passage in previous times. Yet, God hasn’t given up on helping me to try and have a change of attitude toward people, including the needlessly- inflated opinion I often have of myself.

As I try to look at these words through the eyes of Jesus, they take on a much different sense. Here’s a memory refresher: Jesus was without sin and humans are with sin; let’s now look again at some instances regarding his words.

  • Verse 33: “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ” Jesus (sinless) did good for everyone (sinners) with whom he had an encounter.
  • Verse 35: “But love your enemies, do good. . . expecting nothing in return. . .”  Jesus (sinless) showed love for everyone (sinners) with whom he had an encounter.

If I’m a follower of Jesus — and, hence, trying to be more like him every day — how can I not try to act as Jesus did?

The last half of verse 35 made me stop in my tracks and give thanks: “. . .he [the Most High] is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Instead of having that previous mindset of “It’s everyone else who is ungrateful and wicked,” I now admit that I fall somewhere on the Ungrateful-and-Wicked continuum along with everyone else. Yet, God is willing to be kind to me, too.

Happy Thanksgiving to me!

Thought for today: Every day is a day to give thanks to God for somethin’-or-other.

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.