Great Plains Daily Devotional for 4/8/2021

Romans 12:10-16

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

It was time to share joys and concerns. Stacey (not real name) stood and with a wide smile told of the wonderful Christmas gift that her boyfriend had given her. It was a brand-new Christmas tree with the lights already attached. It looked so pretty in her living room. He had bought it with her credit card. Everyone in the sanctuary caught her joy. They clapped and smiled just as she did.
 
Now, I suppose that you might think that this group of churchgoers were some kind of innocent dummies. A part of her story had been that the boyfriend had used Stacey’s credit card. That meant that Stacey would have to pay this bill. A bill, as it turns out, that she could not pay. You would never have known it by the way people acted at that church service.
 
Another time, when Stacy was not in the building, you would hear much about what a hardship this had put Stacey in. People knew very well how touchy her finances were. But they were also smart enough not to spoil her moment of joy. I learned an important lesson from my fellow Christians that day.
 

Prayer for Reflection

Acts 10:34-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8