July 30, 2020

Shawn Stoever
"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."
Psalm 19:14

It is so easy to judge a person’s behavior without even considering their motives.  You get cut off by a car driving way too fast so the person driving must be a jerk (but what if they are trying to get their sick child to the ER).  Your barista doesn’t smile when giving you coffee because they are rude (but what if they just found out their mother had died).  We always have actions and underlying motivations.  God sees both and cares about both.  I want to serve others in ways that please God, but I also need to do it with a heart of gratitude and selflessness.  I need to meditate on His word and His wisdom so that I can hide it in my heart.  When our hearts are focused correctly and filled appropriately, we can flow out with words and actions that are loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, controlled, gentle, and good.