Being a Blessing - All Our Daily Bread Daily Devotionals for 2025

Bible in a Year : Psalm 119:1-88, 1 Corinthians 7:20-40

Always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
1 Thessalonians 5:15

Today's Scripture & Insight : 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

During a heated game between two long-standing local high school football rivals, the home team kicked the ball into the goal. The ball went into the net but exited the back of the net through a hole. The referee didn’t see the ball enter the goal, and seeing the ball outside the net assumed it had simply gone out of play. The away team’s coach saw the goal and voluntarily confirmed the home team coach’s claim, even though he could have remained silent. The referee counted the goal. The away team lost the game 3–2.

While it’s easy to speak up when it’s for our benefit, the Bible encourages believers in Jesus to “always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). Going beyond our normal inclination to do good for our friends, the difficult aspect of this command is working to do good for even our rivals without benefiting from our actions or “expecting to get anything back” in return (Luke 6:35).

Doing good for a rival or competitor may mean speaking up for a co-worker’s effort to complete a sale even if that means she might get the bigger bonus. Doing good might mean raking a neighbour’s leaves even if he’s unlikely to say thank you.

As we actively make an effort to do good towards others, we demonstrate that God’s love extends to everyone.

By: Lisa M. Samra

Reflect & Pray
When have you helped the ‘opposing team’ even when it meant a loss for you? How does this display God’s love?

Dear Jesus, please help me to strive to do good for others through the power of the Holy Spirit, even when it’s difficult.