Leave It Better
- Rachel Welch
- Jun 21, 2024
- 2 min read
“And not just any old well of water will make these seeds bloom…we need the well of everlasting water that we can only get from Jesus.”
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV
Just recently, I borrowed a book from a friend. As I was reading it, half of the pages just fell out from the binding! So strange! I went ahead and ordered her a new book because I have always been taught that when you borrow something from someone, you return it better than you found it.
If you go to the park or a restaurant, you clean up after yourself. You pile plates together and pick up the food your kid probably threw on the floor. You make sure to teach your children not to litter, but also to pick up litter (safely, of course).
The same care can be given to our community. If you visit with a friend, make sure you’re speaking life and encouragement into that friend. Don’t gossip, complain about everything, or talk so much that they don’t get a chance to speak. Give glory to God, become a good listener, and focus on leaving that friend better than you found her! Make it your goal to speak life and be an encouragement to those around you.
I believe that this little habit and act is how we love well. How we love people, the home that God has given us to live in before we go to heaven, and ultimately how we love God well.
Jesus is a pro at this. I’ve never spent time in His presence and not felt 100x better afterward. When you have an encounter with Jesus, He never leaves you how He found you. He picks you up and turns you around. He clothes you in peace and places you in your right mind. He brings beauty from ashes. And how grateful are we for that?
Let’s aim to mirror our Lord in this same way. Let’s aim to leave things better than we found them. Holy Spirit, help me to love well.
Action Step:
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be mindful of this… and look for an opportunity to leave something, someone, or some place better than you found it today.
Written by Rachel, momma of 3