12 Your ministry of this service to God’s people isn’t only fully meeting their needs but it is also multiplying in many expressions of thanksgiving to God. 13 They will give honor to God for your obedience to your confession of Christ’s gospel. They will do this because this service provides evidence of your obedience, and because of your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone. 14 They will also pray for you, and they will care deeply for you because of the outstanding grace that God has given to you. 15 Thank God for his gift that words can’t describe!
Reflection
On my walk today, I picked up a stone and playfully tossed it back into the pond near my home. Wordlessly I smiled, silently watching the ripples widen. The little waves widened and pushed out further and back towards the shore line. I thought of the scene’s metaphor for life and change, and of the ripples of God’s love. I thought of how we don’t always see just how far or where all those ripples will go; nor do we know the larger impact God’s love offerings will have person to person.
Sharing God’s goodness is like sharing those little “waves of love.” I think we all want to know about God’s goodness! By the Apostle Paul’s words, others “will give honor to God for your obedience to your confession of Christ’s gospel.” When we are encouraged to give generously, God’s love grows. When we also openly talk about God’s goodness in our lives, then others are encouraged too.
God’s goodness grows most especially when we share it! Like those smaller ripples that become larger rolling waves, perhaps God’s goodness grows exponentially — especially because we shared it. Others are inspired and want to share God’s little waves of love, too. So roll on little ripples into bigger waves! You are evidence of God’s love. God’s love is a gift, a wave that grows bigger the more we share it.
By Barbara Carlson
For Pondering & Prayer
It isn’t just the act of doing good works that glorifies God. Talking and sharing about God’s grace in your life glorifies God! It’s not always easy to do this. Many times it is very personal and hard to step forward and share with another person what God’s grace has meant to you. But perhaps, when we share about what God’s love has done for us personally, then God’s goodness grows even more. With whom can you share some part of the story of God’s love today? Who needs to hear it? What/who would you like to hear from today?
Prayer: Gracious God, you are my Lord and Savior. Thank you for the waves and ripples that represent your love in my life. Thank you for the reminder to not only do good works in your Son’s name, but to speak about your love and grace. Amen.
Comments are closed.