Read Galatians 6:9-12

“Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (v. 9).
Leaving the cemetery where my parents are buried, I was awed and comforted when I noticed that one car on the six-lane highway had stopped. Within a few minutes, all of the cars coming in both directions had stopped, showing respect to the dead and recognizing the grief of a fellow human being. There was no funeral procession or policeman directing traffic. Just my car was exiting the cemetery. That act of kindness is one I will never forget!
Considerate living is a choice or habit we must nurture on a daily basis. If not, Benjamin Franklin’s famous saying, “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle,” might sadly apply to our lives. Considerate living is not a natural way of life, as our own problems seem to stare us down and grab our attention. Reaching out to others helps put personal issues in perspective, definitely acting as a boost to our spiritual morale. Considerate living causes us to stop and ponder how we might help others, ultimately pointing them to Christ and His love.
When we endeavor to lift others, we reap the reward of bolstering our own Christian stamina. If we ask God to lead us today to the one that needs His help and our Christian love the most, He will faithfully guide us. (BKT)

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home,
When life’s toils are ended,
And parting days have come;
Sin no more shall tempt me,
Ne’er from Thee I’ll roam,
If Thou’lt only lead me, Father,
Lead me gently home.
— Will L. Thompson

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p style="text-align:center;font-style:italic;">Considerate living is making daily choices to point others to Christ.
This devotional is the Monday, May 8, 2017 entry of Opening the Word.