What would Jesus think of what I’m doing right now

The theme of this month is love is not rude. Rude, in whatever form, acts as a poison that destroys any relationship over time. It will destroy love, too. And at the end, it will destroy the heart of the one who is rude.

If you get in the habit of being rude, you might accidentally end up being rude to someone who wants you to mind your manners! And there are some rude things that we should probably avoid. A good rule of thumb is to always ask yourself: 1) “How can I show the people around me that they are important to me?” And 2) “What would Jesus think of what I’m doing right now?” If you keep these two things in mind, it can really help to make sure that we are always treating people with the love God has called us to. God’s love is not rude!

No one likes to be around with a rude, impolite, ill-mannered, or unpleasant person. When we’re the one being rude, we may not see it as such a big deal. Oh, but when someone is being rude to us it is a very big deal. The bottom line is that we need to treat others, the way we would like to be treated, with kindness.

Here are some suggestions for training ourselves with good manners.

1. Greet people. Do you know that Christians are commanded to greet one another? It is one of the simplest forms of love. Do not excuse them by saying you are shy. It is a joy to interact with others in this simple way.

2. Use words like “Please” and “Thank you.” We use these words at home and with your family members. Then we will much more naturally use them outside the home.

3. Speak respectfully to the others. The Bible is clear that we are to show respect for others. We can show others that they are important to us by being polite and showing them the respect that they deserve.

4. Practise these yourself. We cannot expect others to speak kindly if we are not doing the same. Is there some basic habit of politeness that I need to grow in as I speak to my family members and others? Politeness is simply a matter of thinking highly of others.

Through politeness and decorum, we can build more relationships and show more love to the others over the long haul.

Ms Wong SY
4 November 2022