People
John 7:18 – He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Our reason for speaking is founded either for our own pleasure or the pleasure of others (whoever that may be). As Jesus identifies, those that speak of themselves, only seek their own glory. They want people to marvel and be astounded at their gifts, talents, possessions, and works. Additionally, their speaking reveals how they seek their own pleasures of living in the world.
However, those that will seek the glory of the Father (the one that sent Jesus), will speak of God and Him alone. In addition, Jesus says that no unrighteousness is in that person. A person that seeks to glorify God (and not themselves) will be found righteous in the sight of God.
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Luke 6:35 – But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
In Luke 6:30-36, Jesus is addressing the manner we are to give and love others. Jesus says in Luke 6:35 that he [God] is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.
We live in a world that ‘tells’ us to hate the unthankful and evil. We are led to believe that they are not worthy of our help, favors, or second chances; we should turn our backs on them without the slightest care or concern – because they would do the same to us; we should get revenge on those that harm us and want to take advantage of us; and we must prove that they messed with the ‘wrong’ person. However, God is kind to them.
It is God’s will that no one is lost (Luke 19:10; John 3:17; 2 Peter 3:9). Yet, in their current state, the unthankful may not appreciate anything God (or anyone else) does for them and the evil will only care for themselves. But God is kind to them…and we should be as well.
Romans 12:17-21 – Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine- I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink- for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
You were once an enemy of God (Colossians 1:21-29)…and He showed you mercy. Therefore, be merciful as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36).
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Proverbs 22:24-25 – Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
In the scripture above, Solomon warns of making friendships with angry and furious men for fear that his son learn their ways and become snared. In line with this, we must also be careful of all friendships and associations we choose to make.
In many friendships, you may find that you will take some of their ways (traits) or vice versa. For example, when growing up, you may have dressed the same as a friend; shared the same laugh; and acted in the same manner – even today. Within the church setting, think about the places of worship we choose or people (ministries) we watch on television. Given some time you may find that you purchase the same bible, speak the same messages, and even take on many of the preacher’s mannerisms (good and bad).
Take the time to consider the friendships and associations you have and how they may have affected your life. Ask the Lord to reveal friendships that have possibly snared your soul and seek friendships that inspire you to live as our Father desires.
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Matthew 5:9 (KJV) – Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.
Have you ever tried to restore a relationship between two people (or groups) and things got worse? Even though you had the best intentions and wanted a peaceful resolution, the outcome was FAR from perfect. You want people to get along and enjoy a peaceful co-existence (and even get along), but the two ‘sides’ don’t seem to want peace. What do you do?!
1. You can’t make them drink. Most of us have heard the saying, ‘you can take a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.’ With relationships, you can bring people together, but you can’t make them get along. Even if you have the best of intentions, bringing these sides together may not bring the peace or outcome you desire.
…don’t try it unless it is God-directed…
2. Understand that each person/group may never come to ‘terms’ with one another. For whatever reason, neither side will move toward a compromise or any other form of reconciliation. Each side holds to their ‘terms,’ unwilling to negotiate. Years and decades can go by and both sides are comfortable with not speaking to one another.
Even if the situation pains you, you must understand that you can’t make them drink…
3. Make peace with each person. When the sides are unwilling to reconcile, you can do your part in building a healthy relationship with each side. Each person has a different (and specific) path toward peace to follow. Therefore, it will be important for you to think of the person’s needs above your own (Philippians 2:4) and build from there.
Now, there may be situations where you are ‘clumped’ with the one of the sides and other side isn’t speaking with you. If this is the case, remember, you can’t make them drink. You can try to reach out to them through letters, phone calls, etc. (no overburdening or stalking), but it must be within GodÂ’s timing and method.
4. Learn to live with the reality of the current circumstances. The situation may not seem pleasant and go against everything you desire to see, but you must find peace in the way things are. This is not to say you don’t want peace or don’t care about the people involved, but if they don’t want peace, you involvement to bring them together may make things worse.
Each person has their own reasons for division. Each dynamic is different and will require your patience, understanding, and love.
5. Don’t become emotionally charged. When you allow your emotions to get the best of you, you may make decisions that bring additional pain, strife, and division.
Proverbs 4:26 – Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Colossians 3:15 – And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be thankful.
6. Pray (this should be first and continuous throughout your situations). In the context of relationships, there are many dynamics to being a peacemaker. Some situations seem so daunting, painful, and complex that you don’t know where to begin (or end). Pray to God about the best course of action to take. Sometimes we want to jump into action to do something (for the sake of doing something), but maybe the best thing to do is to pray (and be still). We may not have all the answers, but we know Someone that does. Let’s go to Him and ask for His help.
Don’t allow the strain of relationships deter you from being a peacemaker. You cannot control the decisions of others, but you can control your own actions. Don’t let go of your dream of reconciliation and peace!
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Romans 2:1 – Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Have you ever judged someone…forgetting you may have done the same thing (or still doing it)? In the verse above and the previous chapter, Paul was writing about people that knew God, but did not glorify Him as God or was thankful toward Him (Romans 1:21). As they ‘progressed,’ their hearts were darkened and they engaged deeper into ungodliness. God would eventually give them over to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts (1:24), vile affections (1:26), and a reprobate mind (1:28).
What were some of their actions?
1. Knowing God, but did not glorify Him as God or was thankful (1:21)
2. Became vain in their imaginations (1:21)
3. Their foolish hearts were darkened (1:21)
4. Changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image (1:23)
5. Worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator (1:25)
6. Men and women leaving natural affections and lusting after one another (1:27)
7. Did not retain God in their knowledge (1:28)
8. Filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful (1:29-31)
…remember, this is people that knew God…
In Romans 2:1, Paul states that if we engage in the actions listed above, we have no excuse to judge others. So what should we do?!
1. Repent and pray.
2. Remain silent, verbally and mentally.
3. Show empathy for others because if we think back, we’ll remember how hard it was for us during the same period of our lives.
4. Support and restore them in a spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1).
It seems easy to point the finger at other people and look at the ‘mess’ in their lives, but by doing so, we set ourselves to be judged in the same manner (Matthew 7:1-5). Remember when you may have been in the same situation…
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Everyday we fulfill roles as parents, workers, co-workers, leaders, followers, friends, etc. Each role requires various behaviors and responsibilities to address whatever issue that may arise. Regardless of what may happen, handle your situations in a professional manner.
Being a professional requires discipline, dedication, and integrity (among other things). Don’t lose your composure because events don’t go as planned. If you are unprofessional, you will only bring discredit to yourself, the organizations you support, and most importantly God.
Give each situation the same amount of attention, respect, and love you want others to give to you. Set the example. Be the professional.
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Luke 18:18-23 – And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
People grow up from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. As Christians, we are called to make disciples of all nations, but what do we do when people don’t want to hear about God, accept our invitations to attend church, or receive our messages of salvation?
Every person on this earth has a story. Each story is different from the next and encompasses a lifetime of experiences, lessons, and testimonies. No story is less important than another. Some stories are filled with adventure; some have tragedy; and others are filled with joy, triumph, and peace.
Take time to listen to the stories of those you meet. People will appreciate someone taking the time to hear their message.
A world of experiences awaits!
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Have you ever read a Christian tract where someone shares the gospel and they instantly decide to serve God or change their ways? Now this does happen in ‘real’ life, but there are many times when the recipient may walk away, say no, or hate us for trying to share the Gospel.
It is in these moments that we must exercise patience and empathy as the ‘truth’ they have depended upon for years is being challenged. (Think about something in your life you know you should change, but haven’t.) We can help them sort through their difficult questions, problems, and situations. It isn’t for us to constantly badger them to change, but to live what we preach, be available, and be a source of counsel and support.
We don’t want to turn people from the Gospel of Jesus Christ or any level of change that will enhance their lives. If people don’t change when we want, then let us love them anyway (Romans 13:8).
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Matthew 22:36-40 – Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
We all want to be loved; treated with respect, kindness, and love; be supported in our endeavors; and feel appreciate and understood. In the process of our personal wish list, we must also remember that this is the same list we must use toward others. Just as we want to be loved, we should love others in the same manner:
- We should treat others we the same level of respect, kindness, and love…even greater!
- We should support others and encourage them in their projects, goals, and dreams.
- We should strive to understand and appreciate those around us.
Though the needs of others may differ from our own, it does not negate our responsibility to seek God on ways to meet their needs.
There is more to ‘life’ than pleasing ourselves…
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