I had been down with a really bad cold for a couple of days and our grandson came for a visit. I stayed in bed most of the time he was there and tried to stay away from him so as not to pass it on to him.

Inevitably though, he would sneak into the bedroom when no one was watching and check up on his playmate (grandpa). Once he came in and put his hand on my forehead and said, "Grandpa, I think you have a temperature." Several times during his stay he would just come in and pat me or hug my leg and leave, not saying anything because he was told not to disturb me.

Now, of course, we think he is a special little guy; but you have to reflect on how he learned to show his concern in those ways. Of course he learned it through the example of his parents and other caring adults that surround him.

The scripture speaks of bringing up our children in the way they should go and we tend to think of pointing that to the technical obedience to God's laws. But, doesn't it apply just as well to the social skills needed in life? Those things that might be termed the "one to another" side of our life — you know what that is, don't you? It's the everyday living with other people you touch in your life.

One of the problems we see in the world around us is that far too many people try to separate "everyday life" from "Sunday life." They want to separate their relationship with God from their relationship to others. Many folks have the whole relationship thing backwards. They think if they look real good "going to church" that will impress other people and they will want to go with them.

Sometimes all it takes is a pat on the back.
Jesus said, "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16 NLT) If you want to show someone how much you love God, then first show them how much you love people. Sometimes all it takes is a pat on the back, maybe a little hug or a few kind words to show that you care for someone else. If I were going to make a real loose modern translation of  Matthew 5:16, it would be something like this: "Be careful what you do around other people, because what they see tells them what you really love and how important God really is to you!"

I have no doubts at all how much our grandson loves me! Not because he is continuously proclaiming "I love you," but because he shows his love by his concern for me in his actions everyday.

Stop and think about your life and ask yourself, "If I were someone else looking at me, what would I think I loved the most?" If God doesn't show through, then just perhaps something is lacking in that one relationship that really matters. Could it be that you fall into the "Sunday only" relationship to God?