Daily Fruit

I love Joel Osteen and every week, I get his devotionals in my email inbox. This morning, I received an article on the gift everyone needs to received. So I am sharing part of it, so wonderful!

I wonder what our world would be like if each of us would find somebody to be good to every day. What would our city be like? What would our offices be like? What would our schools be like if we made it a priority to brighten somebody else’s day? Scripture teaches "Every opportunity we have we should do good to people" (see Galatians 6:10). That means we need to be on the lookout. We need to be proactive. We need to have the mindset of, "Who can I bless today?" "For whom can I do a favor?" You can’t just sit back and wait for the need to come to you. You have to go after it.

The Scripture says that in the last days the love of the great body of people will grow cold (see 2 Timothy 3:1-8). That simply means that people will be so busy, they’ll be so focused on their own needs, they’ll be so caught up in their drive for success that they won’t take time to make a difference.

Sometimes it’s easy for us to get so caught up in our own little world that we’re focused only on ourselves. "I’ve got my plans. Don’t get me off my schedule." "I’d love to help you out with some work around your house, but I’m sorry, this is football season. I just don’t have the time."

But we weren’t created to live selfishly. We were created to make a difference in the lives of others. John Bunyan, author of the classic Pilgrim’s Progress said, "You have not lived today until you have done something for someone that cannot pay you back."

Friends, all around us are hurting people who need our love and encouragement. Don’t miss the miracle of the moment. Don’t be too busy, or insensitive to the needs of those around you. Be willing to be inconvenienced. Be sensitive and pay attention to those around you, your friends, your coworkers and your relatives. Listen to what they’re saying. We shouldn’t miss opportunities to do good whenever situations come across our paths to bless people.

I heard a story about a young boy that lived in the inner city. He was about eight years old and was very poor. One cold day, he was looking in the window of a local store admiring a pair of tennis shoes. As he stood there, cold and barefooted, a lady came along and asked, "Young man, what are you doing staring so intently in this window?" Shyly he said, "Well, I was just sort of praying and asking God if He’d give me a new pair of tennis shoes."

Without hesitation, the lady took him into the store and very gently and lovingly washed off his cold dirty feet. She put a brand new pair of socks on his feet. Then she told him to pick out three new pairs of tennis shoes. The boy couldn’t believe it. He was so excited! He had never owned a new pair of shoes. He’d always just worn old hand–me–downs. After she had paid for the purchase, the woman handed the shoes to the child.

"Enjoy your shoes, son," she said. The little boy looked at her in amazement. Nobody had ever taken that kind of interest in him. As serious as could be, with tears running down his cheeks, he said, "Lady can I ask you a question? Are you God’s wife?"

Friend, you are never more like God than when you give. You’re never more like God than when you take time for people, than when you do something to bless someone else. When you show love, you are showing God to the world.