How Should I Behave
“Would you like it if someone did that to you?”
Reference: “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,” 1 Timothy 5:1 NIV
Explore: With two primary-school aged boys in the house, I don’t know how many times I say, “Would you like it if someone did that to you?”
The answer is always “no” but a situation soon comes up again where they do something they themselves would not like done to them.
I’d love to say this is only true for primary-school aged boys. But often I see similar behaviour in people at work, at church and even in myself!
People take their own preferences and put them on other people. Or, at times, people don’t even consider the impact their actions would have on others.
Application: There is much debate amongst Christians as to how we should behave towards other groups of people. But Jesus was very clear about what our response should be: love.
If we always act out of love, we may not end up in the perfect worldly position, but we will certainly be in right standing with God.
Prayer: Lord, You showed the ultimate example of love, and continue to do so every single day. May I reflect this same love to others. Amen.
Where have you experienced someone not considering the feelings of others?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.