"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."
Galatians 5:13 (NIV)A story is told of baseball legend Babe Ruth, who once made several errors in a single game against the Reds, one inning of mistakes handing the other team five runs. The home crowd turned on him, booing and shouting at a man who already felt terrible about what he had done. Then a little boy slipped past the noise, wrapped his arms around Ruth's leg, and hugged him. Ruth lifted the boy up and hugged him back, and the stadium fell silent. One small act of kindness changed the mood of an entire crowd.
Too often we behave more like the jeering crowd than the cheering boy. When someone fails, we pile on instead of building up. Yet Paul tells us that freedom in Christ is not an opportunity to indulge the flesh but a calling to serve one another humbly in love (Galatians 5:13). He adds that those who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and to please their neighbors for their good, to build them up (Romans 15:1-2). As Christ's ambassadors, the way we treat people at their lowest moments is the clearest picture of Him the world will see. Today, be your neighbor's greatest cheerleader. You may be amazed at what one small act of kindness can do to brighten someone's difficult day.
Lord, make me an encourager and not a critic. When someone around me fails, help me to respond with kindness instead of condemnation. Use my small acts of love to lift others up and to show them Your heart. Amen.