“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
(Proverbs 18:21 ESV)
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
(Ephesians 4:29 ESV)
I read a thing on Facebook yesterday. It was about how to treat people. It talked about how a man was treated in church because he forgot to turn his phone off before church. They stared, made snide comments, and generally made him feel bad because his phone went off during church. He never stepped inside a church again.
That night, still feeling ashamed, he went to a bar. Still nervous, he spilled his drink, knocked the bottle off the table, breaking it. The waitress hurried over to clean it up. The janitor mopped the spill up, and the manager gave him a complimentary drink and checked to see if he had cut his hand.
Words have a way of cutting a person down or building one up. Just like the man in the story, the words from the church members cut him down, making him feel ashamed. But the kind words and actions from the people at the bar made him feel good.
Now I’m not condoning going to a bar. I’m saying watch your words and actions. If nothing else, because Jesus is watching you. He is watching how you treat others. If you get mad and yell at people and treat them badly, Jesus isn’t very happy with you. But if you treat people with kindness even if they don’t to you, then Jesus is smiling down on you.
I believe in treating people how I want to be treated. I don’t want to be cut down by someone’s words. I spent 50 years of my life living with someone who did that. I won’t do it intentionally to someone else.
Jesus wants us to treat others like we want to be treated. So watch your words and treat others with respect.
Have a great day.
Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2Prayer Ministries
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