June 8, 2021

Do Good as You Have Opportunity

Written by Shana Schutte

Take the opportunities God gives to share love, then life is an adventure where he is at work.”

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 8, 2021

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16

One of the things I love about getting older is that my heart is expanding. Gone are the days when I was mainly worried about my career path. Past are the moments when I was more concerned about getting ahead than I was about deepening relationships with those in my family. 

As life has humbled me, trials have—hopefully—refined me, my sin and mistakes have corrected me, and my aging body reminds me that time is passing. I am grateful that in this season I care more about what matters most: faith, friendships, family, and health. In this season of life, my heart feels larger, and life is richer. These are the blessings of aging.  

All this expanding, however, has led to a new challenge: I ache to be near family and I deeply miss my loved ones. I miss my Schutte family: my mom, brother, sister-in-law, cousins, and nieces and nephew and their children. I miss my bonus kids, my grandsons, and my son-in-law and daughter-in-law. I miss that we don’t get to see one another often because the kids are scattered across the U.S. So, there are days when this grandma’s heart aches for just doing daily life with her loved ones. 

Lately, I’ve been pondering how much this hurts and have been asking the Lord to show me if my ache for connection is too much. 

He reminded me that it’s good to want connection with others, but that I can’t lean on people such as family, friends, or anyone else to give me joy or a sense of significance. Those blessed attributes ultimately need to come from Him. If I seek fulfillment mainly from my relationships, I will always feel empty. Even the best gifts in life can’t fill us. This side of heaven, there will always be an internal ache because this world is not our home. 

The Lord also reminded me of Galatians 6:10 which says: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

I may not have all the opportunities I’d like to do good for my family because my husband and I are not nearby. However, I do have other opportunities every day to do good for those who are nearby. There’s my friend who is going through a difficult time with her sons. There are numerous single women I talk with every day who need to be encouraged in their relationships. And I can make opportunities to show love to loved ones. Yesterday I wrote my four-year-old grandson a letter and just this morning, he sent me a video chat. It was such a blessing to see his cute face.  

All anyone can do is make the most of the opportunities they have. If I remember to take the opportunities God gives to share love, life is an adventure as I look for places where He is at work. I start to see who He has placed in front of me rather than who I wish was in front of me. I start to see that He is at work right now in the moments that He gives—and this means I stop feeling sorry for myself and I can start remembering that life is a gift. Every single moment is a gift. 

Can you relate? I encourage you: don’t focus so much on what you don’t have that you miss what you do. He is always at work right where you are to bring good to you and through you to others. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

Prayer

Lord, as I am separated by distance from those I love, please bless them today. And please help me to remember to focus on where you are at work. You are always at work to bring good to me and through me. And Jesus, help me to lean on you for my ultimate sense of hope, love, and peace. Amen.


Application

Reach out to someone near or far to show them that you care. And as you do, remember that you are serving Jesus.


Related Reading

Proverbs 3:27; Matthew 25:40; Hebrews 6:10


Worship Resource

Maranatha Music – Love One Another


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Comments

  1. Gwynne Maffett says:

    Shana, your devotional this am beautifully explained what our Father has been teaching me the last 3 years I have been in Long Island. He, with His sweet Mercy, placed people in my life here as I longed for my Ga. family. Thank you for you tender words. I know there are so many folks (besides me) that needed to hear this. Grateful!


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