Laurie Hopkins

It is easy to be kind to those who are kind to you. 

It is easy to be generous to those who are generous in return.  

But that is not what we are called to.  We are called to love those who don’t love us; to be kind and generous to those who are not kind and generous to us.  

How often do we extend a loving hand to someone only to have it pushed back at us?  

How often, then, do we follow that up with another loving hand extended to that same person? 

How often are we generous to someone who appears unthankful?  

How often, then, do we follow that up with further generosity to that same person?  

We are a society who often gives first chances and sometimes even second chances to allow people to respond to us in a positive way, but after that, we often withdraw and withhold.  

Jesus calls us to love our enemies.  Jesus calls us to be generous to others without expectation. 

We are called to love.  

Real love is extended indiscriminately and without thought of what we will receive in turn.  

We love others because they are made in the image of God.  

We love others because of their inherent worth as created beings.  

And because we love others, we respond to them with kindness and generosity.  

Reach out and really love someone today!

What has your experience been with being kind/generous to those who may not or cannot reciprocate?

Prayer changes things.  

We talked last week about the necessity of committing to regular prayer time to cultivate that intimate relationship with Jesus.  

We already read that Jesus often withdrew by Himself to pray.  

This passage brings in a whole new level. 

Jesus didn’t only withdraw to pray,

He spent the whole night praying.  

There are times in our lives when we will need to stick to our committed prayer times in our everyday routines.  

But there are also times when we will need some all-night prayer.  

Times before important decisions, times when we need to grow in the midst of change, times when we need wisdom and discernment, times when we need comfort.  

Prayer is a privilege, not a task to be accomplished and checked off the to-do list.  

Think about times when you have spent half the night up talking with your best friend(s). 

  It was totally worth the missed sleep.  

Prolonged time in the presence of the Lord is like that.  

The more time you spent, the more you get to know Him, the more you trust Him, the more guidance and direction you are willing to accept, the more you are able to walk into your destiny. 

 Is it time for some all-night prayer?

Think about a time when you were so engrossed in the presence of the Lord that you lost track of time?  What was that experience like for you?  Do you need to set aside some prolonged time to sit with the Lord (it doesn’t have to be all night J)?

Perspective is everything.  

What you look for, you will often find.  

The scribes and Pharisees specifically watched Jesus to see if He would break the law, by healing the man with the withered hand, on the Sabbath.  

What a shame that because of their focus, they missed the miracle! 

Instead of watching and acknowledge the miracle that took place, all they could see was that Jesus was operating outside their understanding of the law. 

We are often guilty of this in our daily lives.  

We watch people and situations so closely to see if they are going to “do something wrong” that we miss the positive pieces that come out of the situation.  

Our perspective and focus ultimately determine what we see and how we understand it. 

What if we became intentional about switching our perspective and our focus?

I wonder what would change.

How do you think your focus/perspective impacts your understanding of situations your encounter?