Ephesians 4:1-3
As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A post on Facebook this morning noted that our high school football team gets “back to work” today. This got me thinking about sporting events – and how enjoy attending and supporting our alma mater, young friends and relatives who participate… and our community at large. It also reminded me that there are “fans” at these events who behave badly. To be honest, there are a handful of people I prefer not to sit near at sporting events, because their conduct is so off-putting. Even worse, some of these folks are active members of local area congregations who profess to be faith-filled Christians!
Some of these same folks are quick to complain noisily about calls by referees, the lack of playing time for a particular team member, and how poorly the coach does his/her job. If people spent as much time and energy on solving some of our country’s biggest problems as they do debating issues like these - or the newest uniform designs for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team - we’d be amazed at the progress that could be made!
So what does this have to do with today’s scripture passage? There are two things to glean from this:
- We must do everything we can to be patient with those who behave in an unbecoming manner. When our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ show out at sporting events, on social media, or anywhere else, we must still love them and exhibit patience – even if they try our own! If we lash out at those who are misbehaving, we have become just as unlovely – and we dishonor God. We don’t have to sit near these people, but we can’t publicly lash out – or worse yet, become one of them!
- We must check our own behavior and see where we are missing the mark. Are we behaving in a manner that is worthy of the title “Disciple of Christ?” Do we show patience and tolerance – hold our tongue and act with humility – even when we disagree with the ref’s call or the coach’s decision? When the other guy publicly speaks with hatred and untruth about our favorite political candidate, do we strike back with an equally vile comment or presentation toward his/her choice?
Just because I choose not to sit near a friend who is raucous at sporting events doesn’t mean I don’t love this person. And on occasion, I may privately speak to a friend – after careful consideration and prayer – and let him/her know I am concerned about his/her tone or others’ perception of these behaviors. But the most important thing we can do is to live by example… to behave in a manner that honors God and our allegiance to Him – and to patiently love the other guy… even when he/she is anything but lovely.
As we prepare for yet another school year and dozens of sporting events – not to mention the political campaigns that are in full force and countless other issues that are testing our mettle these days – let’s take a few minutes to study this scripture passage. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit of unity and peace – to show you how to treat others with humility, love, gentleness and patience. Call on God to help you guard your tongue and your thoughts… and to always act in a way that is worthy of His blessings. And if you find yourself needing a new seat at a sporting event, come and sit near me! I’ll be the one biting my tongue!
©2012 Debbie Robus
1 Peter 3:8-9
Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God’s chosen ones, and he will bless you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’m betting that somewhere along the line, someone has insulted you… or been rude or hateful. If you are a young adult, you have had classmates and acquaintances say something unkind that really stung. If you are a parent of grown children, you have likely survived the slings and arrows of teenagers… and many of you may now be dodging the jabs thrown by aging parents or loved ones. Others may have had to put up with a boss or co-worker who was hurtful or unkind… or maybe even a spouse, significant other - or even a family member.
Regardless of the “who or how,” one of the hardest lessons for us to learn as Christians is how to love those who insult us and treat us badly… and to continue to treat them with kindness. It would be so easy to lash out… to give as good (or is it as badly?) as we get. And the devil would love every second of it! But God calls us to always take the high road… to be kind and humble and continue to love others, even when they do not reciprocate.
Believe me when I say I have sometimes done this through gritted teeth! I am the first person to admit that this is not always easy. But I am also the first to tell you that God will bless your efforts – in ways you can’t begin to imagine. If you remain obedient and love even those who don’t seem to deserve it – or maybe especially those who are unlovable at any given moment – God will see to it that you are blessed. Better still - you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the devil didn’t win… you did! Isn’t that reason enough to give this a shot?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Romans 12:14-18
Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In the book The Glass Castle, author Jeannette Walls vividly describes her childhood and how she and her three siblings survived a life of squalor and physical danger. Walls’ parents were not uneducated... her mother was a teacher. But she and the children’s father “danced to a different drummer” – and that’s putting it nicely. The children often went days without food while the dad gambled and drank and the mother painted landscapes and still life canvases. They dug in trash cans at school for food… and seldom bathed. They were placed in one dangerous situation after another with no regard for their safety or feelings. Their parents deemed this lifestyle an “adventure!” Walls grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s. Today, I would hope that someone would notice such mistreatment and call Child Protective Services… although I know a lot of children endure horrific things even now.
Nonetheless, Walls and her siblings somehow managed to become productive citizens. Walls is a journalist and successful columnist who has worked for MSNBC and other media outlets. Her brother is a policeman, and one of her sisters is a respected artist. The children’s father died from health complications brought on by excessive drinking. Their mother is homeless – by choice – to this day in New York City. But through all of this, the children never completely cut their parents out of their lives… they never thoroughly washed their hands of these irresponsible, neglectful – if not abusive – people.
There is a lesson here for each of us. Walls said that, at the end of the day, these were her parents. She loved them and could not totally disown them. And believe me, she and her siblings seem to be poster children for someone who has every right to retaliate and treat another person poorly in return. Yet they did not. I’d like to say that their faith in God enabled them to do this… but Walls doesn’t talk about God in the book. Yet somehow, I believe He was an influence in the lives of these children. I believe that God sent them “angels unaware” to protect and nurture them… to encourage them to overcome their obstacles and rise to their full potential.
The point I want to make is that we cannot give up on others. We cannot give in to the temptation to play on their level and treat them unkindly. We never know when God is using us as an “angel unaware” to support and encourage someone else. The very fact that we do not mistreat someone who is mistreating us may be what sways them to change. Being “ordinary” with everyone we encounter and treating each person as someone with value and importance could be the very thing that makes a difference in that person’s life.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the person who fails to make this connection! I don’t want my mistreatment of someone be what keeps them from feeling God’s love and presence. How would you feel if you got to heaven and God asked, “Remember Joe and how you were rude to him because he had been rude to you? He was supposed to find Me through your kindness.” Whether Joe ever found God via someone else or not… wouldn’t you feel terrible? Aside from that, God has given these instructions us through Paul’s letter in this chapter of Romans, so failure to act on them is a direct rebellion against God’s will!
Think carefully about the situations in your life. Consider your reaction to others… even the clerk at the grocery store or the driver who cuts you off in traffic. Sometimes it’s hard not to want to lash out at those who are rude and hurtful, but this doesn’t solve a thing… and it’s not God’s will. Ask God to give you patience and peace of mind, even when you are mistreated… and to show you how to minister to others in ALL situations – especially those that make you feel uncomfortable. When you please God in these situations, He will give you comfort and peace… and the satisfaction that you were His obedient servant even when you were tempted to do otherwise.
©2012 Debbie Robus
