Avoiding Advantage
Scripture Reading — Leviticus 25:14-19
“Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God.”
—Leviticus 25:17
Buying a house or a car can be scary. The financial stakes are high, and we want to be sure the seller is not hiding something or shading the truth. In Leviticus 25, God is talking about business. Through Moses, God instructs his people on the buying and selling of the gifts he has given them. The key, says God, is to avoid taking advantage of one another and to fear God. How we treat one another matters to God and reflects our relationship with him. We can’t love God without also considering what’s best for others.
Still, it can be easy to take one another for granted. Kids think their mom is always available to run a forgotten lunch or gym bag to school. Spouses make assumptions about who should pay the bills or have dinner ready. We expect that others will always be there to meet our needs, and we take them for granted.
Or we expect that people get what they deserve. If they won’t try harder or don’t know better, they deserve to pay a higher price or go without.
But God tells us to treat others well because of him. We may not think that others deserve our consideration or have earned our respect, but God’s love for us compels us to see others through his eyes.
Who needs a new look from you today?
Lord, help us to see others through your eyes and to treat them respectfully because of you. Give us the grace to get past our selfishness and to honor you in our relationships. Amen.
About the author — Steven and Deb Koster
Steven and Deb Koster have a passion for marriages, families, and spiritual growth in the home. Both are ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Steven formerly served as editor of Today and director of ReFrame's English-language outreach. Deb leads Family Fire, ReFrame’s family ministry at FamilyFire.com and on Facebook. The Kosters have three children.
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