I have a great piece of Scripture hanging in my bathroom.  It is in part from Galatians 5:22 and it reads “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.  To these I commit my day.”  On Sunday we were challenged in church that our faith is truly dead without works.  We do not do good works or show love, joy, peace and the like because that is how we get to heaven of course (Ephesians 2:8-9) but our actions should be a natural “by-product” of our faith in Jesus. 

After church I began thinking about everyone I should show love to.  Who could I help, encourage or bless this week?  I thought about the nurse I was crying and yelling at last week at the surgeon’s office.., probably could have shown her a little more love.  I thought about my new neighbors and how I could reach out and show kindness and love to them.  But then the Lord put a thought in my head.  What about my husband and children?  Of course I feed them and ensure they brushed their teeth and did their homework.  Of course I LOVE them but when they fail to clean up after themselves do I prayerfully exhibit patience with them?  When my husband leaves his stuff out or doesn’t respond to me the way I want him to do I show him a godly love?  “Lord, thank you for teaching me that I am not going to be very good at showing love, joy and patience to others if I cannot choose to show these things with increasing measure to those I love the most in life.  Thank you for reminding me once again that although it’s really nice to have Scripture hanging up in my house, it is even better to actually believe that Scripture and LIVE out your truths in my life.  Amen.”