Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

The Bible speaks much about putting others before ourselves. This is one way that we can demonstrate our love to God and our desire to be like Him. Whenever we have the opportunity we should show respect for others and especially to those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Do you embrace people who are different than you are?

When Dad and I were newly married we used to take a walk almost every night. It was our favorite part of the day and we would stroll all around Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, while we dreamed about the rest of our lives. Often on the weekly garbage night, we would find special treasures hidden in other people’s trash.

Would you want to be a ruby? An emerald? Maybe a black onyx stone? These beautiful stones are very expensive and desirable for jewelry and other adornments, but they are not mined from the earth in their sparkly and shiny state. There is a long and involved process to reveal their hidden beauty.

We have all experienced it at one time or another - the surging adrenaline, the building emotional pressure, the rising heat of anger. Sometimes it comes at the most unexpected times. You are driving along the road minding your own business when suddenly, out of the blue, an inconsiderate driver cuts you off. An acquaintance makes a disparaging remark about you or a family member. Or you are blamed for something that isn't your fault. Whatever the case the feeling that follows is often overwhelming and hard to control.

That is the kind of person I want to be, but I often fall short of this goal. It is easy to praise God when things are going well, but not as easy when things seem to be falling apart. Yet praise even in the bad times is what God desires from us. He wants us to trust His loving heart and His ability to use even difficult situations to shape and mature us.