Scripture: Zechariah 7:9-10
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
Thought for the Day: Did you hear about the man who fell into an upholstery machine? He is fully recovered. I came across that joke on Facebook, and a day later, I was visiting my in-laws in Harrison, AR, when my father-in-law tells me about how a man in their community had been drug into a factory machine and killed. I had laughed hard upon reading the joke, but suddenly I felt rather shallow and insensitive. My laughter was never intended to show disrespect as I did not know the other story, but it made me think about how often we may innocently joked to only find out how it hit painfully close to home for another person. We can never know every situation, and there will be times when a joke may not feel like a joke to someone else. A sensitivity to those around us is essential if we claim to be a follower of Jesus, and though we will still say something that will be unintentionally hurtful, we must continually strive toward greater awareness…and when we fail, we must be unafraid to say, “I’m sorry. I never intended to be hurtful.”
Prayer: Provide me an awareness, O Lord, to be able to show compassion and demonstrate kindness. And when I am unaware and cause hurt, provide me the courage and grace to say that I am sorry. Amen.
LOOKING AHEAD
