Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity (1 Timothy 5:1-2)
I have been putting a great deal of thought into what's truly important about the relationships we hold, how we treat people...and why we treat them that way.
In my past I was pretty selfish in how I viewed relationships, if I happened to not like someone, I found it OK to be rude to them, and if you made me mad, consider that I may hold a grudge for a very long time. In reality, I think that I am most likely not alone in that sin pattern.
What's important is that I recognized my sin, and repented and now have worked very hard the past couple of years to treat all as Christ would; with love and respect. Everyone deserves common kindness, and any fool knows that they would rather be around someone who says kind things, than rude. However, what I have been contemplating is this: what is my motivation of my heart for being this way? I want purity of heart to honor Christ in what I do and say...for a time I think I was this way to prove to all and everyone that I truly was "transformed" and did some of it in my own strength...I now know that if I am to be sincere of heart, and consistent in my convictions, I need to fully rely upon the Lord for the strength to treat others as Christ would. I am not perfect. I really screw up quite a bit, and my angry/bitter/resentful/prideful attitudes towards others does emerge. But when I fix my eyes on Jesus, I recognize my sin so much more quickly than I used to, and I repent so much faster than I ever did before Christ changed my heart. In fact, before Christ changed my heart, I saw nothing wrong with my actions, and would write people off daily simply because they "annoyed" me. Nice huh?
Thank the Lord for the forgiveness He offers, and for the ability to move forward. I am very thankful for that.
It's so hurtful when others treat me this way, and I have reflected upon all the guilt of my past when they do, which makes it easier to quickly forgive them when I am hurt.
People are always going to hurt other people, but as displayed in the verse above, all people deserve our respect. No matter what background they come from, no matter their nationality, no matter our human view off them or what we feel they have done to us. It truly goes back to Jesus's words..."love your enemy as yourself." Not to say that all other folks other than those we love are our enemies, but they are quite possibly our rivals, and we ignore them, gossip about them and turn our noses up at them whatever chance we get, for somehow we have decided we are better then they are. I have to believe Jesus saw that in the human hearts of all folks back in the time of His walking the earth, and this is why He challenged us to constantly turn the other cheek. I don't think He literally thought that people were going to walk around smacking us in the face all the time, and if that were the case, I'd wear a hockey helmet to the grocery store. Because if that were the code of conduct instead of rolling of eyes, or obvious annoyance written on a face, I'd be bruised all the time! (when shopping my children are perfect angels)
What I am getting at is this: The motives of my heart are key in how I treat people because number one: I do not want to be pious in my kindness (for I do have the potential to sin even in my kindness) I do not want to "show up" someone else because it's another form of pride.
The human heart is capable of sin disguised as good, and it's that that I am trying to get to the bottom of it. To literally cut the bone from the marrow, separate the two, and then act accordingly once I find my results. I know I will never be perfect, and to claim otherwise is heresy. But what I do know is that with every move I make I have the opportunity to honor my creator, not because I'm great, but because He's worth it. Because this should be the only way of life that feels good to me if I am living who I claim to be, in Christ.
Not good for the sake of good, good for the sake of Christ. Not kindness simply for the sake of "being a nice person" but kindness for the sake of Christ. ( Although being kind and good are what I desire as well) I want to be more then decent to other humans, I want to shower HIS love on other humans. So, I'm a work in progress, able to recognize the sin of my past, so I am also able to recognize when that sin wants to creep back in. All the while, being humble for Christ, rather than pious because I think I'm great. I know it's a big bight I'm ripping off here, but a gals got to start somewhere...and this is what I'm going to be chewing on for while. It's not always going to taste good, because some jerk in the grocery store is going to really bug me sometime and I'm gonna want to let them have it: but I won't. Not because I've got really strong will-power, (because I'm weak in that) but for the sake of Christ, and in the strength of Christ, I can love a soul who appears difficult to love.
And trust me friends, if I can do this, anyone can! Just try singing "Amazing Grace" the whole time your shopping. It's going to be physically impossible to give another person a dirty look when singing this song. This is intensely important around holiday shopping, and holiday gathering with family. For sometimes it's strangers that are most difficult to love, and sometimes, it's family. So do your best, to let Christ rule in your heart all the time. See what He does with it, I'm sure you'll like the results.
"The Bible never looks at people as being worthless. The Bible's view is that humans are God's creation made in God's image, and, though they have fallen, they are not worthless. If you regard people as created in God's image, you can see an individual as worthy of respect and honor because of what God has made him or her to be--a man or woman for whom Christ died. This is how Christian slaves were to regard their masters in the first century. If they were unbelieving masters, slaves were still to look upon them as worthy of full respect in order that the name of the God who created them and stamped His image upon them might not be defamed or His teachings scorned by the world."-Ray Stedman
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