“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Luke 6:31 (NIV) One of the greatest tests of your character is how you treat people who are trying to serve you. Whether it’s a waitress, a waiter, a clerk, an employee, a secretary, your children, or your spouse, how you treat those who serve you tells me a great deal about you. An indicator might be when you go to restaurants. How do you interact with the server? If you're rude and demanding in those situations, there's likely a flaw to address. Jesus tells us, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31 NIV). That may be the simplest yet most important character test in the Bible. Social psychologist Eric Hoffer once said, “Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” It takes no intelligence at all to be rude. The best place to practice this important character trait of respect is at home. More marriages are ruined by rudeness than anything else. It's amazing how many marriages are buried by one little dig after another. Have you noticed that sometimes we’re the most disrespectful to the people we care about the most? Our homes should be safe places to express our emotions and practice forgiveness and grace—but they are too often the place where we think we can get away with the most unkindness. I know people who treat their families in ways they would never treat a stranger. Yet even in our families--especially in our families—we need to be understanding, not demanding, and forgiving, not finding fault. Courtesy is just love in the little things. It’s showing grace, because we understand there are hidden hurts everywhere. It’s showing respect for people by being kind, even in the smallest areas of our lives.
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“Show proper respect to everyone” (1 Peter 2:17 NIV).
Respect has become an endangered value over the past few decades. We live in the “Age of Irreverence,” where sarcasm rules the day and everyone loves a good put down. Yet the Bible makes it clear that stable families — and stable societies — are built around respect. The Bible commands us to honor our parents, respect civil authority, and respect church leaders. Wives are called to respect husbands in Ephesians. In the book of 1 Peter, husbands are called to respect wives. Just to make it clear that the Bible leaves no one out, the Bible also tells us to “show proper respect to everyone” (1 Peter 2:17 NIV). Everyone, regardless of beliefs or behaviors, is worthy of respect. Why?
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AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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