Faith—Practicing Goodness
Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18
Always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
Briefcase in hand, I hustled toward the door of the office building. In the wind and cold I fumbled for my keys. I had the right key, but it wouldn’t open the door. I set my briefcase down and tried a little more intently. But the door, not the one I usually used to enter the building, would not open. I turned around, deciding I would have to go around the building to another door. But then a gentleman inside came tapping on the window and gesturing for me to come in. With a warm, welcoming smile, he opened the door for me.
It was a small thing, the kind of thing that can happen often. But it warmed my heart and the rest of me as I entered the building.
He didn’t have to do it. I could have gotten in by another door, but he blessed me with his good kindness. I remember it still. That gracious act was like a lubricant that made life flow more smoothly.
All of us have been on the receiving end of such acts. The shape of these acts varies: smiling kindly to a harried cashier, speaking a word of encouragement when a tear brims in the eye, sending a note of concern at the right time, pausing to listen to a hurting neighbor. You weren’t paid to do it. Perhaps no one else noticed it. You may even have forgotten the deed, but the world is a better place because you did it!
Love is seen in the good and kind care we show to others—and our faith is seen too.
Lord, help us today to “do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” Amen.
About the author — Harvey Kiekover
Harvey Kiekover grew up on a Michigan farm and studied to go into pastoral ministry. He served as a teacher in Nigeria and as a pastor and chaplain in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He and his wife became the parents of three sons, and he enjoys spending time with his six grandchildren.
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