Scripture — 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

“See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Briefcase in hand, I hustled toward the door of the office building. In the wind and cold I fumbled for my keys. I had the right key, but it wouldn’t open the door. I set my briefcase down and tried a little more intently. But the door, not the one I usually used to enter the building, would not open. I turned around, deciding I would have to go around the building to another door. But then a gentleman inside came tapping on the window and gesturing for me to come in. With a warm, welcoming smile, he opened the door for me.

It was a small thing, the kind of thing that can happen often. But it warmed my heart and the rest of me as I entered the building.

He didn’t have to do it. I could have gotten in by another door, but he blessed me with his good kindness. I remember it still. That gracious act was like a lubricant that made life flow more smoothly.

All of us have been on the receiving end of such acts. The shape of these acts varies: smiling kindly to a harried cashier, speaking a word of encouragement when a tear brims in the eye, sending a note of concern at the right time, pausing to ­listen to a hurting neighbor. You weren’t paid to do it. Perhaps no one else noticed it. You may even have forgotten the deed, but the world is a better place because you did it!

Love is seen in the good and kind care we show to others—and our faith is seen too.

Prayer: Lord, help us today to do what is good for each ­other and for everyone else. Amen.