“The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” (Ps. 145:8)
If there is one thing that will make us stand out from the world it is our reaction to how others treat us. The world says, “Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you!” But the Bible says God has a different reaction. Despite how the world treats the Lord, the Bible says He is still “gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”
Here are eight tips that will help you react differently to others.
1) Don’t Judge their PRESENT by their PAST.
Everyone has a past. What if everyone judged you, today, on a bad decision you made years ago. Not only have we all made bad choices, but people do grow and learn from their mistakes. Who they are today, may not reflect who they were when they made that bad choice. So, instead of judging their past, help them create a new future.
2) Put your EARS in GEAR, and your MOUTH in PARK.
If there’s one thing that is hard to find these days, it is a good listener. James said in (James 1:19) “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…” Often, we do not hear what the other person is saying to us because we are too busy trying to respond. One of the best things you can do for someone is to hear them out. Listen to what they are saying, and you might even hear what they are NOT saying!
3) Be kind, not because of WHO THEY ARE, but because of WHOSE YOU ARE.
Some people can be plain rude! But that does not give us an excuse to be equally as rude. It is easy to treat those right who treat us right. But true Christianity shines when we love those who are hateful to us. In fact, that is what Jesus commanded of us.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matt. 5:44)
We don’t treat others right because of who they are, but because of who WE are. We belong to Jesus! That is why Jesus said in the very next verse: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven…” (Matt. 5:45)
4) Don’t try to make yourself look BIG by making others look SMALL.
The moment you think you have the right to belittle someone because you think you are better than them is the moment you show everyone else how small you really are. James reminds us that the Christian life is not about showing partiality to others. James said, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons” (James 2:1).
When we react to others the way Jesus would react, “gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy,” there will be an attraction to our reaction. Tomorrow, I will give you the last four ways we should react to others.