Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them accordingly…. — Romans 12:6 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource Trusting God Day by Day Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

We all have different gifts, but we shouldn’t compare or be jealous of the gifts of others.

I remember hearing one preacher talk of how often he saw Jesus. I had never seen Jesus, so I wondered what was wrong with me.

Another person I knew prayed four hours every morning. I could not find enough to pray about to keep praying for four hours and always ended up bored and sleepy, so I wondered what was wrong with me.

I had no gift to remember large portions of Scripture like someone I knew, who memorized all the Psalms and Proverbs as well as other entire books of the Bible, so I wondered what was wrong with me.

I finally realized that nothing was wrong with me.

Whatever we cannot do, there are many other things we can. Whatever someone else can do, there are also things they cannot. Don’t let Satan deceive you any longer. Don’t compare yourself with anyone in any way, especially not spiritually.

We can see other people’s good examples and be encouraged by them, but they must never become our standard. Even if we learn how to do something from them, we still will not do it exactly the same way.

At some time or another, I think we all fall into the trap of wondering why we are not like others we know or why we don’t have the same experiences they do, but it is a trap—and a dangerous one. We are caught in a snare set by Satan when we enter into spiritual competition and comparison, and we become dissatisfied with what God is giving to us.

We should trust that God will do the best thing for each of us and let Him choose what that is. If we trust God in this way, we can lay aside our fears and insecurities about ourselves.

I am sure we would all like to see into the spiritual realm and have an abundance of supernatural experiences, but getting frustrated if we don’t only steals our peace, and certainly does not produce visions of Jesus.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for making me a special individual with unique gifts and talents. Help me today and every day to be the best me I can be. Help me to also love and appreciate others for their unique gifts. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

http://www.joycemeyer.org

[Looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity]….— Hebrews 12:2 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource The Power Of Being Thoughtful Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

People who finish well in life are the ones with strong character. As believers, we can be grateful that the Holy Spirit is developing the character in us that we need to do what God calls us to do—we have “staying power.”

Jesus did not quit when His circumstances were rough, and He is our example. The Bible says we are to look away from all that distracts and look to Jesus instead.

I think most of us want to do and be everything God intends for us, and to enjoy it along the way. Great joy comes with finishing the race God has called you to run.

Enjoy the journey and keep your eyes on the prize. One of the greatest testimonies you can have is I’m still here. When you speak those words, you are saying, “I did not quit. I did not give up. I am still here.”

Prayer Starter: Father, I thank You that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I have staying power. I make the decision today to keep going—to never give up. Help me to run my race with perseverance and discover the joy of finishing each task well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. — Psalm 63:1

Adapted from the resource Starting Your Day Right Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

There were people in the Bible called “slingers” who defeated their enemies by slinging stones and throwing dirt into their wells, contaminating their life source of water (see 2 Kings 3:25).

We all know people who sling accusation, judgment, criticism, and faultfinding at others. We certainly don’t want slingers in our life, and we don’t want to become slingers either.

Don’t be a slinger who contaminates your own faith or the faith of those around you. Spending time with God will fill you with “living water” (see John 7:38). You will be edified and become a source of encouragement for others all day long.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I know it’s only through spending time with You that I can become a source of encouragement and blessing to others. Help me to protect this time and seek You diligently. Help me to become someone who is full of faith and who strengthens the faith of others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

You shall have no other gods before me.  — Exodus 20:3

Adapted from the resource Power Thoughts Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

The best way to determine if God is first in your life is to slow down and ask yourself some simple questions: What do I think about the most? What do I pray and talk about the most? What do I do with my time?

You see, we always make time for what we really want to do—no matter how busy we are. If you want to spend time with God, then you are going to make Him a priority.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where your priorities are out of line. Then allow His conviction to motivate you to seek a deeper relationship with God. It is God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Who will give you the ability to adjust your lifestyle and bring it in line with the Word (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT).

If you truly want Him to, He will enable you to put God first in your thoughts, conversations, and actions. You may need to make some changes in your schedule, but they will be ones that will produce good results.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I want to put You first in my life. Help me to prioritize my schedule and make the necessary changes to spend more time with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. — John 10:10

Adapted from the resource New Day New You Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

My husband Dave once did one of the wisest things I’ve seen. Before we entered full-time ministry, he worked as an engineer. He was offered a promotion that included a pay raise and a lot of prestige. But he turned it down.

At first I was angry with him. I thought he was making a big mistake. Didn’t he want to climb the corporate ladder? Wasn’t he the best person for the job?

He explained that he had watched the other men in that position. They had to travel extensively, and they were constantly saddled with unreasonable deadlines that put them under tremendous stress.

“That is not the way I want to live,” Dave said. He chose the position that allowed him to stick to his core values—commitment to family, and comfort with self— rather than chasing corporate power so others would look up to him.

Besides, why choose a bigger paycheck if you just spend it on doctor bills to relieve your stress-induced illnesses? Job stress causes as much illness in this country as smoking and lack of exercise. Like those things, it kills.

Do whatever you need to do to make sure you fully enjoy the life He has provided for you. Sometimes saying “no” takes more courage than saying “yes”.

You can take this concept beyond the work arena. Removing all the things from your schedule that aren’t bearing good fruit will greatly reduce your stress level and enable you to truly enjoy the things you choose to concentrate on.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I ask for Your help to manage my schedule wisely. Help me to keep my priorities straight and learn to say “no” to things that will pull me away from what’s important in life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

http://www.joycemeyer.org

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. — 1 Corinthians 3:9

Adapted from the resource My Time with God Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Under the Old Covenant, the temple was the house of God, the place of prayer for His people, the children of Israel. The temple had three compartments, one of which was the Holy of Holies, and it held the presence of God! Amazingly, now our renewed and sanctified spirit is the place where His presence dwells!

Under the New Covenant, the apostle Paul tells us that God’s presence is now a mystery revealed, which is of Christ in us, “the Hope of glory” (see Colossians 1:27).

Because of the union you now have with Christ, you can be close to God because you are God’s living temple. You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, a building still under construction, but nonetheless His house, His tabernacle. Paul goes to great length in encouraging us to live a holy life because we are the temple of God.

Whereas the children of Israel had to go to a specific place to offer their worship with detailed instructions, we have the incredible privilege of worshiping God anywhere and at any time. Therefore, we can be called a house of prayer.

Prayer Starter: Oh, Lord, I thank You for Your Holy Spirit Who lives inside of me. Thank You that Your awesome presence goes with me everywhere I go! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. — 1 Kings 18:21

Adapted from the resource Love Out Loud Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Like many people, I assumed that doubt and unbelief were the same, because we usually put them in the same context. In recent years, however, I’ve learned that there is a difference. Obviously, doubt and unbelief do not honor God, but I want to show you how they function in different ways.

The story of the prophet Elijah is an excellent picture of doubt at work. King Ahab was the most evil leader the people had known. Elijah declared that because of Ahab’s wickedness, no rain would fall until he, the prophet, said so. For the next three-and-a-half years, drought scourged the land.

Now, that’s a pretty clear picture. There had been sufficient rain before Elijah’s declaration—but after he spoke, the skies quit yielding water. That is pretty obvious. Who would question God or His prophet? But apparently, the people’s fear of Ahab—as well as the lack of rainfall—caused their minds to be filled with questions.

Elijah finally called all the people together, along with the king and the false prophets, and asked them why they doubted. Why were they caught between two possible answers? That’s what doubt really is. Doubt isn’t simply unbelief—it’s more of an attitude that says, “I believe, but . . .” or, “I want to believe, but . . .”

Doubt often comes to reside where faith once lived. Doubt is active opposition to faith, and it tries to push faith aside. The people had believed the prophet, but as time wore on—three-and-a-half years—apparently questions arose, and uncertainty crept in.

If Elijah really did this, he ought to stop it right now. Maybe it just happened. Or, How do we really know that was the word of God? As soon as they seriously asked themselves these questions, they opened the door for Satan to bring doubt into their minds.

Doubt never comes from God—it is always in opposition to His will.

In writing to the Romans, Paul pointed out that the Lord gives each of us a measure of faith (see Romans 12:3). When we cling to that faith, we push away doubts. But when we allow questions to enter in—any kind of uncertainty that takes our minds away from God’s wonderful work in our lives—that’s doubt.

It is also a subtle, sneaky entry point for our enemy. He plants doubt in our minds, hoping it will cause us to oppose God. We probably don’t think of doubt as something that strong, but it is—it’s the first step of opposition to what God declares. That’s why we need to know God’s Word. If we know the Word, we can recognize it when the devil lies to us and causes us to question.

Elijah wouldn’t allow the people of his day to move back and forth from doubt to belief. He made the options clear: Believe the true God or believe a false idol. Don’t fall into the trap of saying you believe in God when your heart is filled with doubts and questions. Choose true faith and say, “Lord, I believe. I may not always understand, but I trust You.”

Prayer Starter: True and faithful God, in the past, I’ve been weak, allowing Satan to make me question You, Your love, and Your plans for my life. Not only do I ask You to forgive me, but I also ask You to teach me Your Word and strengthen me so that Satan can never trick me again. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken], behold, O Lord, You know it all. — Psalm 139:4 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource Hearing From God Each Morning Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Because we relate to God as individuals—and that’s the way He wants it—we also pray as individuals. Even when we pray corporately with others, we are still individuals; we simply join our hearts with others as one voice.

During these corporate prayer times, I believe God wants our hearts to be in unity much more than He wants our methods to be the same.

When we say, “Lord, teach me to pray,” we are asking Him to teach us to pray in a distinctly personal way and to enable our prayers to be easy, natural expressions of who we are. We are not supposed to check our individuality at the door of the prayer closet. We need to go to God just the way we are and give Him the pleasure of enjoying the company of the “original” He has made each of us to be.

We need to approach God with our strengths, weaknesses, uniqueness, and everything else that so wonderfully distinguishes us from all the other people in the world.

God enjoys meeting us where we are, developing a personal relationship with us, and helping us grow to become everything He wants us to be. It is refreshing to realize that we can come to God just as we are and be relaxed in His presence.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You that I can approach You just as I am and have a unique, personal relationship with You. Help me to continually be more comfortable as I come to You to talk, worship, or simply relax in Your presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. — Romans 12:3

Adapted from the resource Ending Your Day Right Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Proud people compare themselves to others and feel superior if they are able to do something others cannot do.

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, the apostle Paul wrote, But by grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) o God I am what I am (AMPC). If you do not realize you are what you are by the grace of God, you will think more highly of yourself than you should.

You should judge yourself soberly, knowing that without God you can do nothing of value. Success only comes by His grace. Your accomplishments and abilities are not yours to take credit for—they are gifts from a loving Father.

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for Your grace that enables me to do everything. Help me to always treat others with an attitude of humility. Help me to constantly lean on You and humbly receive Your help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

http://www.joycemeyer.org

In this passage, the apostle Paul does not say, “Pray and worry.” Instead, he is saying “Pray and don’t worry.” Why are we to pray and not worry? Because prayer is an important way we cast our care upon the Lord. Prayer is what opens the door for God to work in our lives and the lives of other people.

When Satan tries to give us something to worry about, we can turn and give that care to God. If we pray about something and then keep on worrying about it, we are mixing a positive and a negative. The two cancel each other out so that we end up right back where we started—at zero.

Prayer is a positive force; worry is a negative force. The Lord has shown me the reason many people operate at zero power spiritually is that they cancel out their positive prayer power by giving in to the negative power of worry.

As long as we are worrying, we are not trusting God. It is only by trusting, by having faith and confidence in the Lord, that we are able to enter into His rest and enjoy the peace that transcends all understanding.

Prayer Starter: Father, I take a moment right now to lift up my needs to You. Help me with this day to trust You completely and receive Your peace, knowing You have everything under control. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God]. — Ephesians 5:4 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource Battlefield of the Mind Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Quite often people use the phrase “I hate.” They hate driving to work, cleaning their houses, going to the grocery store, cutting the grass, paying their bills, and on and on.

I think each time we say we “hate” something, it makes it harder for us to do it with joy the next time.

Start saying by faith that you enjoy those things that are naturally more difficult for you to enjoy. Start saying it in obedience to God, and soon you will find those things to be more enjoyable.

We can talk ourselves into things and out of things. You can talk yourself into despising something you need to do, or you can have a good attitude and speak good words about it and make it a lot more pleasant.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to agree with Your Word and begin talking myself into a joyful life. Help me to speak life-giving, positive, and thankful words. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Joyce Meyer, Truth, theology, spirituality, religion, prayer, peace, nature, Love, lord Jesus Christ, Joy, Jesus Christ, Jesus, human rights, holy spirit, God, faith, daily devotion, current events, church, Christianity, Bible

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. — Revelation 21:4

Adapted from the resource Wake Up to the Word Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Heaven is the abode of God, the angels, and the souls of those who are granted salvation.

Heaven, the eternal home of the believer in Jesus Christ, is described in the Bible as not only totally peaceful, but also stunningly beautiful (see Revelation 21 and 22).

Having faith that this is our destiny delivers us from the fear of death. Death is not an unknown nothingness, but a graduation into better things than what we have experienced on earth.

As Christians, we can truthfully say, “I will live in heaven forever!” Your address will change someday from earth to heaven, but you will never really die.

What a joy to know that we have the hope of a beautiful, peaceful place where there will be no more tears, pain, or dying, and we will live in the actual presence of God.

Prayer Starter: O, Lord, thank You for eternal life through Jesus! When life is difficult, help me to remember that it won’t last forever, but I will one day know the joy of living with You in heaven. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

When the righteous cry [for help], the Lord hears and rescues them from all their distress and troubles. The Lord is near to the heartbroken and He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).— Psalm 34:17-18 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource Trusting God Day by Day – by Joyce Meyer

I believe God mourns with us when we suffer a great loss. After all, when Jesus taught us to pray, He told us to call God “Abba,” which is best translated as “Daddy.”

What daddy doesn’t ache when his little boy comes home defeated after striking out at his Little League game? What mother doesn’t feel her own heart break as her little girl comes home from school having been taunted on the playground?

In the overall scheme of things, these are tiny losses and hurts, and the parent knows that. But the pain of seeing your child suffering is piercing nonetheless.

Immediately after teaching the disciples to pray what we know as the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus asked, What man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? (Matthew 7:9–10AMPC).

In other words, because He is our Father, God suffers when we suffer. And while He could change our circumstances in an instant, more often than not, He doesn’t. But when He sees His child suffer, He suffers, too.

When you are feeling loss and sorrow, ask God to hold you in the hollow of His hand, to whisper His comfort and to stroke your head, like a parent fussing over his fevered child. You may or may not feel that comfort, but God’s Word is true, and so is He.

Prayer Starter: Thank You, Father, that You are the God of all comfort and You suffer when I suffer. Please comfort me today. Help me to sense Your loving presence in everything I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised. — Hebrews 10:36 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource The Power of Being Thankful Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

What a blessing it is to know that the Holy Spirit helps us overcome our past.

Thankfully, with faith and patience, you can recover from your past pain, from things that have been done to you, or from mistakes that you have made, but the recovery will require an investment of time on your part. You can either continue to invest in your misery, or you can begin to invest in your healing.

One of the ways you can deal with the past is by confessing God’s promises instead of talking about negative, defeated feelings. When you confess God’s promises instead of your problems, you are exercising your faith and investing in your healing. This is a powerful way to really begin enjoying your life.

Prayer Starter: Father, I’m grateful that I can invest in my own healing by confessing Your Word over my life. Help me to focus on Your promises rather than my problems. Thank You that You have good things in store for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

“Listen, for I will speak excellent and noble things; and the opening of my lips will reveal right things.” — Proverbs 8:6 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource Starting Your Day Right Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

One of our biggest mistakes we make is that we sometimes answer people too quickly, just giving them something off the top of our head. Only a fool utters his whole mind (see Proverbs 29:11 KJV).

Those who speak frequently and hastily are always in trouble, as the Bible says, There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18 AMPC).

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to pay attention to the things I say. Let my words today bring healing, wisdom and encouragement to those around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. — Joshua 1:5

Adapted from the resource New Day New You Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

I have heard it said there are 365 references to “fear not” in the Bible. I know there are at least 355, according to Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, one “fear not” for almost every day of the year.

Do you really want to obey the scriptures and “fear not”? If so, you will be in good company because every person in the Bible who was ever used by God to any degree was told over and over by Him, “Fear not.”

One of those people was Joshua. Joshua, the man God chose to follow Moses, had a big job ahead of him: to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land.

God wasn’t telling Joshua to be like Moses, but that He would be to Joshua what He had been to Moses. God would not fail or forsake Joshua. He was saying, “Fear not, Joshua, I will be with you!”

When God tells you He will be with you, that means no matter what the circumstances are like, everything will work out all right because God will never fail you or forsake you.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I lift up all of my fears, worries and concerns to You right now. I choose to believe Your Word—that You will never leave or forsake me. Because of You, I don’t have to fear. Help me to keep moving forward, knowing You are with me every step of the way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You… — Psalm 63:1 (NKJV)

Adapted from the resource Hearing from God Each Morning Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Sometimes I marvel at how long we can struggle in a situation before we think to talk to God about it and listen for His voice. We complain about our problems; we grumble; we murmur; we tell our friends; and we talk about how we wish God would do something about it.

We struggle with situations in our minds and in our emotions, while we often fail to take advantage of the simplest solution there is: prayer. But worse than that, we then make perhaps the most ridiculous statement known to man: “Well, I guess all I can do is pray.”

I am sure you have heard that before, and maybe you have even said it. We all have. We are all guilty of treating prayer as a last-ditch effort and saying things like, “Well, nothing else is working, so maybe we should pray.”

Do you know what that tells me? It tells me that we really do not believe in the power of prayer as we should. We carry burdens we do not need to bear—and life is much harder than it has to be—because we do not realize how powerful prayer is.

If we did, we would talk to God and listen to what He says about everything, not as a last resort, but as a first response.

Prayer Starter: Father, I take a moment right now to pray for the needs in my life. I know that You love me, You see what I’m going through, and You delight in helping me. Please help me to always run to You first. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

http://www.joycemeyer.org

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. — Romans 8:28

Adapted from the resource The Confident Women Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

A confident woman is not afraid to get out of her boat and shake things up. I’m not talking about doing whatever you want to do, but what you think God is leading you to do. If your heart is right, if you’ve done your best to seek God and done what you know to do to hear from God, and you feel like what’s come to you is right, you’ve got to step out and find out.

I’m not afraid to make mistakes, because I know that God knows I’m doing all that I know how to do, and that I’m on a journey. I’m not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be. I’m more excited about my progress than depressed about how far I have to go.

God approves of me. He doesn’t approve of everything I do, but He approves of me because I love Him and my faith is in Him, and I’m doing the best I can to follow Him. That’s what makes me bold to step out for Him and try new things and do new things. God is God. He can fix it if I make a mistake.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I take great confidence from the fact that You have the power to work all things together for good, even my mistakes. I delight in Your approval of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

…We will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed], in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call… — 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (AMP)

Adapted from the resource Ending Your Day Right Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

We all like “suddenlies,” and as we draw closer to the end times, the Bible promises us a “season of suddenlies.” When Jesus returns to earth for you, you will be changed, transformed “in the twinkling of an eye”—in other words, suddenly.

You don’t have to be discouraged in your walk with God, because no matter what remains to be done in the transformation of your old man into your new man, it will be accomplished suddenly—at the appearing of Jesus in the heavenlies.

If Satan tries to tell you you’re going to stay the way you are forever, he is lying. God is even now in the process of changing you from glory to glory, and whatever remains to be changed in you, He will one day do suddenly.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for working in my life and changing me from glory to glory. Help me to expect Your goodness today and every day. Help me to put my hope in You and expect Your “suddenlies” in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

And be kind to one another… —Ephesians 4:32

Christmas is the season of good cheer, but it often becomes a season of stress…so much shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking and visiting with friends and relatives. Before you know it, people are losing patience and snapping at one another. It’s easy to become unkind.

I’ll never forget something my daughter told me a long time ago. She said that her goal was to learn to love or to treat with kindness, goodness and mercy every single person she encountered who was unkind or ugly to her. She said, “That’s my goal. I want to submit to God in my emotions and the way that I handle myself so that when I’m out in public and someone mistreats me, I respond with kindness.”

She said, “One of the things that God has shown me that really helps me to do this is, when someone is grouchy toward me, I can get angry and frustrated or I think: I don’t know what this person is going through. Maybe right now her back hurts terribly. Maybe she has a horrible migraine headache. Maybe this grumpy man at the meat counter at the grocery store has a child who just died last week. Maybe he is carrying a financial burden that feels too heavy for him. Maybe that woman’s husband walked out on her and is living with another woman. Maybe this man has just been told he’s losing his job at the end of the week.

We don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives.

Kindness will cause you to slow down and give people some space and some grace. People are under so much stress that half of the time they don’t even realize what they’re doing. Life was not meant to be the way it is today. We were not meant to live at the fast pace at which we live, with thousands of things coming at us at once. Stress and overload are the disease of the twenty-first century, and it makes people grouchy. People don’t have time for each other anymore. We don’t even have time to talk to anyone.

I think we’ve lost sight of some important things in life and that we need to put kindness back on our priority lists!

Love Others Today: Help me, Lord to be especially kind to people who are not kind to me.

http://www.joycemeyer.org