• It was one of those days when nothing seemed to go right at work. Ralph had lost sale after sale and was three hours late for his lunch.
• He sat down on his favorite stool in his favorite diner waiting to place his order. When the waitress asked for his order, he said meekly, "Please, I like two things: an order of pot roast and a few kind words."
• Looking at him kindly, she replied, "The kindest words I can think of right now are, 'don't order the pot roast.'"
• Offering "kind words" is the responsibility of every Christian every day. Everyone we meet needs words of strength, hope and encouragement to meet the challenges they face. Life for most of us has various shades of difficulty each day.
• But what are the kindest words we can ever offer anyone? Perhaps they are these: "Don't forget the next world while living in this one."
• It is possible for each of us to put our values on the wrong things. No one is immune from being caught up in the moment when we are vulnerable and weak. How sad it will be if we live our lives and, at the last moment, discover life's greatest mistake: we did not include God in our plans.
• Jesus asked, "How do you benefit anything if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul?"
• Prayer: We pray, Lord, that we will recognize our greatest need: first to accept You as our Savior and then to bring others to a knowledge of Your saving grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
• Scripture for Today: Mark 8:34-38: 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
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