And do everything with love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NLT)
Some mornings I read through the chapter, a verse leaps off the page and imprints itself on my heart. I realize that there’s nothing worthwhile I can add except for the doing.
Monthly Archives: January 2013
A Kind & Grateful Endeavor
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)
I am always encouraged and surprised when someone posts a comment or personally shares with me that one of my blog posts was significant for them in some way. As we are reminded at the end of today’s chapter, it’s heartening to know that in God’s economy the things we do are never useless. They compound spiritual interest in ways we may not notice but are nonetheless of eternal significance.
This morning I’m taking from this particular thought two motivational nuggets for the new year:
- I endeavor to consciously do more random acts of kindness, exhibit more generosity, and love others more tangibly.
- I endeavor to tell others when their own words or actions have impacted me, send more thank you notes, and express genuine gratitude for others.
Related articles
- Loving Well in the Midst of Differences (tomvanderwell.wordpress.com)
- Thank You Note Etiquette: How to be Wonderfully Gracious on Paper (crane.com)
- What to Write in a Thank You Note (bluemountain.com)
- Attitude of Gratitude (mallorybower.com)
- Arbejdsglaede tip: Do a Random Act Of Workplace Kindness (positivesharing.com)
A Proper Challenge for a Go With the Flow Guy
But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NLT)
Wendy and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary on New Year’s Eve. It was a wonderful occasion and celebration that makes the holiday extra special for us. On New Year’s Day we celebrated by taking down our Christmas decorations and returning Vander Well Manor back to it’s normal daily appearance. The holidays, the celebration of our anniversary, and the extra time we have to be together during the holidays always gives me opportunity to think about our relationship.
Wendy and I have a lot in common when it comes to our interests, but those who know us well will tell you that we are opposites in temperament. I am laid back and tend to go with the flow while Wendy is very particular and highly organized. After seven years of marriage, I realized yesterday that our annual taking down of the decorations was as efficient and stress free as we’d ever experienced. I believe that this was due in a large part to an unspoken understanding of one another and how best to attack the process in a way that played to our strengths.
No matter what our individual bent, the strength of our personal temperament always comes with a corollary weakness. Being laid back and able to go with the flow helps me to weather change and to bring flexibility and stability to rapidly changing circumstances. At the same time, I tend not to sweat certain details and give little thought to the long term implications of my momentary decisions. The result can often create frustration since Wendy’s bent is to give careful thought to each decision in order to anticipate the future chain of events to where it will lead.
Today’s chapter is all about similar differences in the way the followers of Jesus in Corinth were going about their meetings together. Conflict arose because the meetings had become a bit of a laid back free-for-all and Paul was trying to address some of the specific issues the local group of believers were experiencing. I thought Paul’s bullet at the end of the discussion summed things up nicely: Do things properly and in order. I can hear Wendy’s voice in my head lending a hearty “Amen.”.
I’m not one for formal New Year’s resolutions, but as we put away decorations yesterday and cleaned up the house I told myself to make 2013 a year of “getting my house in order.” I find it interesting to wake up this morning and, in a little moment of synchronicity, read Paul’s succinct directive. We don’t make much progress in our personal journey unless we consciously choose to address areas of needed improvement. For a easy going person like me, that means consciously doing a better job of sweating the details, doing things properly, and going about my day in a more orderly fashion.
(Which means I need to end this post and get ready for my day. Happy New Year.)
Related articles
- Happy New Year to you and Happy Anniversary to us! (carolinecalcote.com)
- Christmas decorations (namesjaney.wordpress.com)
- The Good Stuff (tomvanderwell.wordpress.com)
- A Family Weekend Starts the Holidays (tomvanderwell.wordpress.com)