Angels In Disguise, Part 3
click to watch video in new window
“But when you do a kindness to someone, do it secretly-don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:3-4 (TLB)
If you’re never mistaken for an angel, you’re doing this thing we call the Christian life wrong. The Scriptures challenge us to be kind, not just to those we know, but to strangers as well. To really understand that, consider the times you were a stranger; you were the person no one knew, maybe in a new city or country with strange and new surroundings all around you. You were the one who needed someone’s kindness to help you.
To show kindness we must remember that everyone is hurting and risk loving today. We must develop a one-day mindset. How often is it that we know what to do but we just don’t do what we know! People really don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. Acts of kindness demonstrate God’s love.
Yesterday we discovered two practical ways we can risk loving today in our gift of one day adventure. First, don’t wait for the big opportunities. The second was don’t overlook the one in front of you. God has strategically placed you where you are to be His eyes to see those who are hurting and His hands to help them through simple acts of kindness.
Here are the other two practical ways to risk loving today:
· Don’t expect anything in return. This is the tuff one. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “But when you do a kindness to someone, do it secretly-don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4 (TLB) In other words, don’t post your acts of kindness on Facebook or any other form of social media. When you announce your acts of kindness for the world to see and applaud you, that is your reward. You will miss the reward your Heavenly Father wants to give you.
· Don’t fear because God is with you. Risking an act of kindness to a stranger can be intimidating. What will they think? How will they respond? Will it offend them? What if they misunderstand my intentions? We can think of a hundred excuses that justify our fears of reaching out to someone who is hurting. When that happens it’s good to remember Hebrews 13:5b-6. I love the way the Message paraphrases this promise. It gives me the confidence I need to risk loving today! It says, “Since God assured us, ‘I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,’ we can boldly quote, ‘God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?’” Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that could happen?” Most of the time it is simply the fear of how we may look. Really? Take the risk to love today! Don’t miss the gift God has engineered for this day! Make it your goal for someone to mistake you for an angel.