August 19
Scripture: James 3:17
Source author: Sherry Poff
August 19
Full of Mercy and Good Fruit But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. —James 3:17
I lived on a quiet street and enjoyed a good relationship with my neighbor. We shared produce from our gardens and tips about growing peonies. When I learned that she had lied to me about a community issue, however, our interactions became strained. Working in my yard one day, I seemed to feel her eyes watching me. I wanted to shoot angry looks her way, make her sorry for her deceitfulness. But I had been sharing Christ with my neighbor; I needed to demonstrate His love. Struggling with my emotions, I remembered a song my children had learned in vacation Bible school. It was an adaptation of 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient; love is kind . . . Love is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrong.” Singing the song to myself, I waved and smiled and kept pruning the shrubs. Months later, my neighbor approached my car as I pulled to a stop in the driveway. “I got baptized this weekend,” she said. “I thought you’d like to know.”
God’s love makes our witness effective. — Sherry Poff —