Topic: Be Considerate
Bible Reading: Proverbs 1-3; Romans 14.
Memory Verse: “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” Romans 14:21 (KJV)
Christianity is about Love. When the Lord was asked about the greatest commandment, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-39 (KJV). God expects you to make love your guiding principle such that whatever action you take should have love behind it.
Imagine, if anyone wants to steal and he thinks about how the owner will feel and the pain such stealing will cause the victim, he will not go ahead with such an event. Similarly, anyone considering blackmail, adultery, murder or even eating or drinking what will cause any discomfort to his neighbour, he will desist from it. That is why the Bible says in Romans 14:21 (KJV), “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”
When you consider others in everything you do, you will end up living a life of righteousness, peace and joy ( Romans 14:17) and thus be pleasing to God. You will not keep things to yourself and deny others when they need such things though you are in the position to share with them. I watched a show of recent; a man of good means disguised as a poor needy fellow and went about asking for food or something to buy food to eat. He went to several people that had the means to give him but they all ignored him: some even chased him away. However when he got to a petty food seller, she attended to him out of the little she had. The man was surprised and asked the petty seller why she chose to help him inspite of her own needy situation, her reply was full of love; she said since she had something she could share to attend to his need, it was better she gave him the food. Thereafter the man disclosed his identity and gave substantial cash to the lady as a reward for her generousity.
Note that she did it without expecting anything back but out of her love for even a stranger! That is what God expects of all His children. You don’t need to be wealthy before you show consideration to others, God expects you to act in your present state and He will be pleased with you. You are not to mock others when they are in a deplorable situation, rather you should look for ways by which their position can be ameliorated. That is what it takes to be a child of God.
Action point: Always consider others in every action you take knowing that you have the option to either please or grieve God by it.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero