August 13 Devotion - Have a benevolent regard

 

Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

  كَيْفَ تَقُولُ لأَخِيكَ: دَعْني أُخْرِجِ الْقَذَى مِنْ عَيْنِكَ، وَهَا الْخَشَبَةُ فِي عَيْنِكَ؟ 5يَامُرَائِي، أَخْرِجْ أَوَّلاً الْخَشَبَةَ مِنْ عَيْنِكَ، وَحِينَئِذٍ تُبْصِرُ جَيِّدًا أَنْ تُخْرِجَ الْقَذَى مِنْ عَيْنِ أَخِيكَ!

فَلا يَنبَغي أنْ يَهتَمَّ كُلُّ واحِدٍ بِمَصالِحِهِ الخاصَّةِ فَقَطْ، بَلْ يَنبَغيَ أنْ يُراعِيَ مَصالِحَ الآخَرِينَ أيضاً

Matthew 7:5

Philippians 2:4

 We are to break the spirit of selfishness, and to have a benevolent regard for the happiness of others. Jesus teaches us to be kind to one another and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We need to be compassionate one to another in order to experience the benefit of God’s compassion toward us. While we should be concerned for believers’ interests we are not to interfere in their business.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, please teach me, strengthen and guide me, to care about others as much as I care about myself. Help me to esteem others and look upon and be concerned for their interests. Give me wisdom to give them advice, and humility to not insist that they follow my advice or be offended if they do not follow it. Lord, give me insight and self-awareness to be able to see my own defects, and grant me kindness to make allowances for the defects of others. Lord strip me from any pride that may be hindering me from carrying out your commandments. Thank You Lord for Your abundant blessings and for Your deep, everlasting and inseparable love. In Jesus’ name I pray. To Him be the power, the glory and the dominion forever and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein