What is the best thing I can do for a person? The absolute number one nicest, kindest, most loving, and generous thing?

You might say I could die in their place. But that opportunity doesn’t come up often. My death would rarely do anyone much good. And it’s not often I run into someone who is about to die. Even if I somehow swapped places with someone on death row, that person may have their freedom, but their life wouldn’t necessarily be all sunshine and roses after that.

So maybe the best thing I could do would be to give my life as well as everything I own to that person. (That would be cruel to my husband though, which kind of takes away from my kindness.) So the prisoner is now free, and they have a little money. But the newly freed person will still have problems. We all do. Life on earth is troublesome.

So what is the best thing I can do for someone? With my very limited resources? Anyone. A stranger, someone I love, someone I don’t.

“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭28‬, ‭CSB‬‬)

My resources are small and finite. But God’s resources are vast and infinite. His knowledge is complete, His power is unstoppable, His wisdom is perfect, and His love is boundless. The best thing I can do for anyone ever is to sincerely and urgently ask God to help them, to bless them, and to reveal Himself to them in all His glory.

God wants me to love my enemies. One of the best ways to do that is to spend my days in sincere and urgent prayer for their well-being and listen carefully in case there is some way He wants me to participate in His blessings for them.

Dear God,

Thank you for prayer — for being able to speak with you anytime and anywhere. It seems impossible and miraculous. When it comes to people I love, praying for them comes easily, and somehow doesn’t seem like enough. When it comes to those I despise, praying for them is hard and seems too generous somehow. Thank you for the reminder that my prayers to you are the most valuable thing I can do for anyone, and I should never be stingy with them.