Tuesday, September 6 – Acts 9:36

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means Dorcas); this woman was excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.

What are some habits you have picked up consciously or unconsciously? Habits come along while we are living our lives, for good or for bad. We often try to break unhealthy habits and start healthy ones, like exercising or spending time outdoors. We know what it looks like to make physical goals for our well-being, but have you ever set goals to make things like loving others a habit? At some point in time, Tabitha started to go out of her way to serve those around her. We don’t know her testimony of how this all began, but we see that eventually her life was marked by caring for others with kindness and charity. Because she was a follower of Jesus, this was the power of God at work in her, not something she did on her own. Still, she trusted God at work in her life and made the intentional steps toward serving her community.

There are times in life that we wonder, “What is God’s purpose for my life?” or get caught in the busyness of other things and lose sight of serving Him. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, so walk in Him! Tabitha made a community impact by habitually following Jesus in the way she loved others, and you can make an impact in your community as well. Let us heed the words of 1 Peter 4:10, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God.”

• What are some gifts you have that you can use to serve others in your area?
• Who has made an impact on your life from their acts of service?
• Pray and thank God for those who have impacted your life through their service in Jesus’s name.