This Week's Devotional: Stopping for the One

Week 6 – February 4-10, 2024

This week’s daily readings:

Week 6 - February 4-10, 2024

This week’s devotional:

Stopping for the One 
By Pastor Frank Albert

Scripture:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.” 

— 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 (NIV) 

Reflection:

One example of sowing sparingly would be failing to treat the person in front of me as God’s creation. When I interact with customer service people in my community, I see a common theme, and that is that they seem fearful of being yelled at; customers clearly are often unkind and unreasonable. A friend of mine who worked at Panera had a cup of scalding hot coffee thrown at her because “it wasn’t hot enough.” When I hear stories like this, it challenges me to make every effort to be as kind as possible to these workers. They do make mistakes and it can be frustrating, but central to Paul’s teaching (above) is this truth: we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and so is the clerk at Market Basket. 

When I visited missionaries in Mozambique many years ago, they lived by a simple philosophy that they called “stopping for the one.” Each person they encountered was treated as the most important person on earth. They clearly believed what Jesus said, “in as much as you have done it for the least of these, you have done it for me.” The low-paid worker, having a bad day, might be our equivalent of “the least of these.” 

Let’s give the love of Jesus to underpaid workers in our communities, stopping for the one, looking at them as the precious creations of Christ that they are. After all, he’s already loved us more deeply than we will ever understand. We should share that love with others.

Prayer:

Jesus, why am I so easily frustrated? Lord, help us to sow your love generously everywhere there is need. Fill my cup to overflowing so that I have much more than I need and plenty to give to others. Spare me from sowing sparingly, that I would not look like the culture, but instead be your light in dark places. Fill me with your Spirit so that I can be a blessing this very day! Amen