An Angel in Disguise

“At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43)

Imagine if you will that the next stranger you come across might actually be an angel sent especially for you. How might you react differently to them? I'm a firm believer that God is always putting people into our lives to help direct us and get us through lonely and difficult times. He puts these angels into our lives to help grow us and make us better people, because sometimes our own efforts fall short of what we need. That is when angels appear. Haven’t you had someone special who made a difference in your life? Someone who encouraged you, nurtured you, and inspired you? God sends the right people at the right moment when we least expect it to encourage and strengthen us. Angels in disguise; they are the people around us whose love, joyfulness, goodness, and light brighten our life. Angels sent from God. It happens all the time. More often than we realize.

 

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

Just as God sends people into our lives to encourage us, you never know when a visitor will be sent your way to give you the opportunity to administer to, physically, mentally, financially, or even spiritually. Take a moment to think about how you treated everyone you came in contact with just for today. How many times have you passed up the opportunity to help someone who spilled their groceries on the way to their car, how did you treat the rude waitress who was unkind to you in a restaurant, or how many times have you stopped for someone whose car is broken down on the side of the road? Do we turn away these opportunities to love and serve because we are afraid, or because we just don’t want to interrupt our schedule and take the time to help? Treating others with hospitality and love that goes over and above is what God commanded us to do; every day we should try to get the attention of someone we meet and make an attempt to make one person’s day a little brighter.

 

 

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38)

Two of the most dominant forces in our lives are kindness and encouragement. Not only for the person who gets it...but also for the one who gives it. And if you have a hard time accepting kind-heartedness, inspiration, and praise, it’s mighty hard to give it! God’s angels may come to us disguised, so each day we need to practice receiving and extending love to all people because you never know who you will encounter. You never know that the person standing in front of you could be an angel!