Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Friday, December 2, 2016

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically."¹

Besides the dreadful crimes of rape, robbery, abuse, murders, etc., that are constant fare on the daily news, there are several other things that I find very distressing. One of which is the way so many people throw their trash out of their car window; or leave it in public places, in the street, on the beach, in national parks, and so on.

Most times when I hiked in the mountains near where I used to live, I would find scattered empty beer cans and bottles, soft-drink cups, and all sorts of garbage thrown on the ground by self-centered, thoughtless and ungrateful people.

I say ungrateful because these people have no appreciation of the marvels and wonders of God's creation and the sacrificial cost and efforts of hard working, responsible people who have labored to build incredible highways, to keep our country beautiful, and to provide so many wonderful places for us to visit. The more I watch the news and see the terrible conditions in which millions of people are living in so many countries, the more grateful and appreciative I am of the incredible blessings and provisions we have living in the free world.

I am also disturbed by the numerous shoppers who are too thoughtless to return their shopping cart to the store or in one of the designated places for shopping carts, but just leave it blocking a parking spot and for a store assistant to pick up. This forces stores to increase their prices causing you and me to pay for thoughtless people's inconsiderateness.

And how tragic it is that instead of promoting the good, the worthy, and the noble, so much of the news media "promotes" irresponsibility, crime, evil and the negative because that's what sells!

However, as Christians we are to strive to be Christ-like in everything we doâ€"including cleaning up our own messes and acting as thoughtful, responsible citizens. The most effective way I know how to keep our places of living clean and beautiful is by example. The laws of the land will not change people's nature. Only God can do that. However, as Christians may we so live that people seeing Christ in us in everything we do will want Christ and what they see in us for themselves.

And let us encourage our capable young people to enter politics and places of influence so that they can help make a difference.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please open my eyes so I can see, not only the innumerable blessings that come from You, but also the incredible blessings I have living where I live. Please give me a grateful heart so that I will never take these blessings for granted. And, no matter where I live, please help me to be responsible and Christ-like in all that I do, and use me to help make my world a better place in which to live. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Romans 12:10-11 (NLT).

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