(Matthew 7:12)
12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.TODAY'S TAKEAWAY
I grew up hearing my dad reminding me often of this golden rule. And then, he would usually follow that up with this verse...
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will heap burning coals on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.
We have to look at this all as a "win-win" situation, at all times. We are to show love to everyone, even to - and most of all - the unlovable. This does NOT mean that we approve or support wrong behavior. In fact, that kind of enabling in itself would be lying and deceptive, and the opposite of love! But in showing God's unconditional and sacrificial love, we might have an opportunity to share the gospel message.
If a person is not receptive to talking about the Lord God, at the very least, there will be a lovely, respectful interaction, because people tend to react in kind. Many people live by the creed, "When someone is nice to me, I'll be nice to them. But if they are mean to me, I'll be mean right back to them.".
Now, there are times when people are just in a bad mood, because maybe they had a bad night's sleep, they're h-angry, they have a migraine, they've been dealing with cranky people all day, they're going through a divorce, someone they love just got a cancer diagnosis or passed away... So then, by being kind to them regardless, they might find some comfort or reprieve, which could lead to a beautiful conversation about how God can help, in all situations!
At the worst, someone may become angry at our kindness, and at the very worst, will want to persecute us because of our godly kindness. But as we continue to be kind and loving, the Holy Spirit will convict them! They will feel miserable! Even if there aren't any witnesses to the exchange. If there happens to be people there, they will see the evidence of God's love in us, and perhaps there we might have an opportunity to share the gospel message with those people. We never know how God is going to work things out, but when we honor God by being obedient, He will.
Of course, from the earlier verses in this chapter, we know that we should not be doing God's will in order to be performative. Our thought should never be about who is all watching, although we should always keep in mind that God IS always watching. I mean, He's right there anyways, always, so why would we not want to do all things WITH Him! So much easier. And not just easier, this is what God wants - to do life WITH us - and help us navigate through all the various relationships we might run into, or develop, or inherit. Therefore, our motive should always be to love people with God's love, all in His strength, righteousness and wisdom, and all to His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment