kindness

As we build relationships for the kingdom, let’s remember that we do so for the sake of our King. When we love him, we will naturally want to share his love with others.

Generosity is giving every aspect of yourself back to God, to whom it belongs. It’s giving Him your money, your prayers, your time, your effort, your reputation ... your rights. Most often, we do this by giving to His children here on earth.

Generosity is actually the ultimate act of worship.

Our true identity is defined not by what we do but by what God has done. Our status is found not in our performance but in his grace. At the same time, however, who we are should be manifested by what we do.

One of our frustrations with social distancing is that it feels so hard to help those in need. We cannot visit senior adults isolated in nursing homes. It’s hard to volunteer at food banks or rescue missions when we’re not allowed out of our homes.

But Christians must not let these restrictions become excuses. Instead, we who believe in the sovereignty of God must believe that he has ways to redeem these challenges for his glory and our good.

A church in Oklahoma is working with local groceries to help feed more than 50,000 families in need.

So we need to brace ourselves. Adjust our expectations. April as we wanted will not happen. God willing, it will reappear in 2021. But the 2020 version? It’s time for a deep breath, a steady resolve and a few decisions. I’m thinking of three essential, emotional tools.

Gratitude. Collect your blessings. Catalog God’s kindnesses.

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 31 at 8 PM Eastern Time, Ed Stetzer will join me for a free webinar “How Christians Can Love Their Neighbors During the Coronavirus.” Though this webinar is the first session of a 5-part short course on responding to our culture’s brokenness, we are also offering it completely free to anyone, even if they are not signed up for the rest of the course.

The news we’re all waiting for is the announcement that a vaccine or cure for coronavirus has been discovered. We trust that day will come one day.

When it does, as with crises of the past, we will remember then what people are doing now. From the president and members of Congress to our local leaders and those we know personally, actions taken (or not taken) today will echo for many years to come.

A North Carolina Chick-fil-A employee's infectiously positive attitude went viral on Facebook after a customer filmed their cheery interaction.

If you were a millionaire for a day, how would you spend your money? One Texas woman says she would tithe 10 percent of her income before donating some and investing the rest in real estate.