Hey there, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled, Advice from One Older, was written by John Blaze.

What do I regret?

That was the question New York Times best-selling writer George Saunders answered in his 2013 commencement speech at Syracuse University.

His approach was that of an older person who shared one or two regrets he'd had in life with the younger people who could learn something from his examples.

He listed a few things people might assume he regretted, like being poor and working terrible

jobs. But Saunders said he really didn't regret those at all. What he did regret, however,

were failures of kindness. Those opportunities he had to be kind to someone, and he let them pass.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Ephesus,

answering this question, what does the Christian life look like? It's tempting to rush in with our

answers, like possessing a particular political view, avoiding certain books or films,

worshipping at a particular manner. But Paul's approach didn't limit him

to contemporary issues. He does mention abstaining from unwholesome talk and ridding ourselves

of things like bitterness and anger. Then to conclude his speech, in essence, he says to the

Ephesians as well as to us, don't fail to be kind. And the reason behind that

is because in Christ, God has been kind to you. Of all the things we believe the life in Jesus to be,

one of them surely is to be kind.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Ephesians chapter 4 verses 29 through 32.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen, and do not grieve the Holy

Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness,

rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

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