"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am
only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I
possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass
away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection
comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked
like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a
man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a
mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I
shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But
the greatest of these is love." - (1 Corinthians 13 NIV)
Happy Wonderful Wednesday!!!
Love is not rude.
Being rude is highly overrated in today's world.
We reached to a point where we have lost a sense of human decency toward each
other. It's extremely sad. I know the Lord has something to say, through me, to
encourage and minister to His People, so you all can be blessed.
Before I further elaborate, I want to refresh our
memories with the dictionary's meaning of rude. Rude -
1. discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way. 3. rough in
manners or behavior; unmannerly; uncouth.
I know ... that's how unpleasant rude
is. Please excuse me, and I don't want to stomp on anyone's toes, but
at some point in time, this subject must be addressed. Honestly speaking, rude
is equated with the adjective's description of mean. Mean
- 1. offensive, selfish, or unaccomodating; nasty; malicious. Again,
that's how unpleasant mean truly is. They go
hand-in-hand because being rude is being mean,
if we think about it.
I will do my best to be delicate as possible, but I
can't ignore what the Lord is pressing in my heart to say. I hope this devotion
will shed light on your spiritual hearts and minds because being rude is
offensive and it doesn't reflect God's character in any shape, fashion, or
form. It amazes me how people are comfortable with magnifying rudeness in their
daily lives. I don't know how they delude themselves to believe it's okay to
pass brutal, nasty remarks to others and about others.
Satan utilizes this tool effectively because his
sole purpose is to kill off humanity entirely. He loathes harmonious living in
every way. And candidly speaking again, he doesn't care about us. Nope. Not one bit.
And it's terrible. The Bible tells us in two scriptures: "The thief only
comes to kill, steal, and destroy." (John 10:10). "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8).
Yes, Satan's intention is to bring out the worst
in us, not the best. I want to be clear. This isn't about judging others
because who are we to throw stones? Can I be real with you? I know it's going
to sting, but rude behavior is overused.
Talking about someone behind his or her back, not
venting about a situation what a person has done to you, is
being rude and hypocritical. Before you assume, I want you to think about it
for one minute. Say for instance, Sally speaks to Abigail about how Roger is
assassinating her character by deliberately provoking her to anger. And he
succeeds for evoking a powerful emotion out of her because she is literally
at her breaking point. And while Sally is explaining her predicament to
Abigail, Abigail is simply listening to what Sally is saying. Abigail isn't
encouraging gossip by repeating or twisting what is said. She
understands, with God's compassion, that Sally is hurting and she needs
someone to listen to her, not judge her or make her look worse for how she is
feeling. If we don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Why? Because it doesn't make the person we're talking about look bad, but it makes us look bad. And that, my friend, unveils the ugliness roaming in our hearts.
That's one way of being rude.
Being overly critical about how a person does
things, looks, feels, and doesn't see from our perspective is another way of
being rude, when we intentionally criticize and dismiss everything
about the individual.
I understand that, yes, we all have bad days, and
sometimes our emotions run high because we have so much going on, and it causes
us to be unintentionally rude (although rude is intentional, but in this case,
it’s unintentional) to others without realizing it. When the other person
catches it and walks away from us, realization hits us when we come to terms of
what has occurred. And immediately, anyone who has a heart, we will feel bad
for what we have done. I know I do whenever I react unseemly sometimes. I do my best not to make it constant. And once we are constantly rude, what does that say about our true character? Food for thought.
Mistreating a person because they aren't
"hot" IS rude. Who are we to dismiss someone because
we "feel" this person isn't attractive to us, or he or she doesn’t
look the way we “think” he or she should? So, does it mean we shouldn't bother getting to
know him or her at all? Yes, chemistry and interest is one thing, but being unbearably
rotten to someone because we're not interested is another. Or even mistreating someone because we "believe"
this person isn't important as our other friends. So, it gives us the right to
mock them or only check up on them when we see it's convenient for us? And the
list goes on and on.
I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad, but this
really does happen if we're being truthful. This is conviction of God's Holy
Spirit for us to check our erroneous thoughts, which is brewing in our hearts.
God's love is gentle, not weak. His love is kind,
not nasty. His love is patient, not impatient. His love is considerate, not
inconsiderate. His love encourages, not discourages. His love listens and it
doesn't give a deaf ear when one is talking. His love finds something to
positive to say about everyone, even if the person is irritating (laughing). We
know this is true. We all have people in our lives rubbing us the wrong way! I
don't know one person who doesn't. However, it doesn't give them or us the
right to mistreat each other. It's a two-way street.
After all, the Bible clearly states: "Treat
others the same way you want them to treat you." (Luke 6:31).
Before we jump into any conclusions, I want to
clear any misunderstandings. What this scripture basically saying is, if we
don’t like being mistreated, then why should we do it to others? It doesn’t make
sense for people to give us respect, when we don’t show it first. If we respect
ourselves, then it’s not hard to respect others. We’re all equal and we all
have the same feelings. Just because two people respond to situations
differently, it doesn’t make one superior or inferior over the other. We, as people,
tend to take things out of context, especially when we don't take the time to
absorb what is being said to us or what we read. That's why there is constant
confusion because no one takes the time for anything anymore. God is not the
Author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
We live in a hasty and cruel world. Why? I'll never
comprehend it. One thing I do know is that I can't worry about or control
others just because they consciously choose to mistreat me. I can only
control my responses and my actions, even when I tend to mess up at times. And
that's what makes me human, and you, too (smiling).
When we come over to Christ's side, it's a
whole different ballgame. You will see people's truest colors coming
out entirely. Why? Because God's light is shining brightly in you. And where
God's light shines brightly, it drives out all darkness and evil forces.
Everything is exposed for what it is. Whether it's behind closed doors or, I
hate to say it, publicly. Whenever we don't correct our mistakes, we tend to
keep on doing wrong. So, we think we don't need a makeover in our spirits. Beloved, there's always room for improvement. Always. And
this is what a delusional spirit does, it makes us believe we're doing right,
when in actuality, we're doing wrong. Only God can convict and bring us
revelations about ourselves. Condemnation points fingers about a person's
flaws and hangs it over their heads redundantly. Conviction taps at one's heart and shows his or her errors, and then
blesses the person to make amends.
A true person of character constantly acknowledges his or
her ways, once he or she comes into realization of what he or she has done.
First, he or she repents to God. Second, he or she makes the wrong right with
the people he or she has hurt. And last, he or she must forgives him or
herself, and continually strives in living the life as a better human being. God
delights in our honesty when we come to Him. Nothing moves God more, when we
talk to Him about everything while being our true selves. Isn’t it
lovely to know that we can carry everything to God in prayer? And
after we have done this, He wraps us in His loving arms to let us know we will
be all right and keep on living in Him.
If you are struggling with rude behavior or rude
behavior is being directed toward you, I would love to pray for you.
Prayer: Father, I admit
there are times I'm not my best. And I let my situations get the best of me.
However, I'm coming to the conclusion, it doesn't excuse my behavior for being
rude to others, when they don't mean me harm or when they do. I'm asking You to
create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. I know it's
through Jesus, I am redeemed and there is no condemnation to those who are in
Jesus Christ. Help me to think carefully in what I do or say. But whenever I
fall, please catch me and make the situation right. I'm truly sorry for how I
behave because it doesn't glorify You whenever I rudely react to others. And
for those who have been rude to me, Lord, I ask You to help and show them
where they are making errors, too. Show them they don't have to embrace
rudeness and hurt others in the process, but release whatever is stirring in
their hearts to You. Redeem them, give them a new heart and mind, and bless
them to make right decisions, which glorifies You wholeheartedly. In Jesus'
name, Amen.
If you believe in this prayer, may you be healed
and set free. Remember, how we react to situations and make our decisions is a
daily thing. How you live is far more important than what you possess. Nothing
is more precious than your soul, for you are unique and you are created for
God's glory. Until next time, be blessed.