Think, Before You Speak or Act!

"The Girl you just called fat? She is overdosing on diet pills. The Girl you just called ugly? She spends hours putting makeup on just hoping people will like her. That man with the ugly scars? He fought for our country. The boy you just laughed at? He's already being abused at home.
This world tears down. This world promotes decay. This world cheats to get ahead. Jesus taught us to be different. To live different. To show compassion. To be salt and light."

We must be careful with how we talk about people, treat people, and the words we use! Every person has emotions and a heart that can feel love or pain. For us to be jerky and walk out of love is NOT being the image of Christ that we are called to be to this world! We are to exhibit God's love to BOTH sinners AND saints, not just the sinners. The Word tells us, "Those who hate other believers are in the dark and live in the dark. They don't know where they're going, because they can't see in the dark." (1 John 2:11 GWT), "Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them." (1 John 3:15 NLT). "Whoever says, "I love God," but hates another believer is a liar. People who don't love other believers, whom they have seen, can't love God, whom they have not seen." (1 John 4:20 GWT).



From what I see in the Word, God frowns on the behavior that I have seen among many "christians" in my life. My experiences, from attending a private christian middle and high school to growing up a PK, have yielded LOTS of experience on just how UNgodly and UNloving "christians" can be. Is it because we are human and just can't help but act that way? I tend to think not! Why would we be given scriptures like the ones above if it were impossible for use to truly, genuinely LOVE others? Next time you open your mouth, text someone, or communicate something... think really hard about the impact those words will have on that person, or others that will hear it. Think about the gossip and the effects that spreading, what could really be a nasty lie, will have on the person it is about. When you get ready to say something, always do it from the stance of, "how would I feel if someone said or did that to me?" That is a great way to try and prevent hurt, offense, hate, and such in our own lives.

Let us always seek to put others over ourselves! Let us always seek to love lavishly as HE lavishly gave us HIS love, and let us always be full of grace and mercy towards others, no matter what past hurts or current storms rage in our lives! We are to be salt and light, so BE salt and light and BE FULL of HIS LOVE!

Seek to LOVE People,
JRT