We know the “golden rule” but are we good at applying it?
I try not to watch the news, but the evidence of war, violence, and people’s unkind acts are hard to miss. It makes me wonder about the people behind the acts. Who or what do they love? I can’t stop a war halfway around the world, but I can work in my corner of the world.
Today, I listened to a sermon about the different kinds of love; from how we love our families to the way God loves us. I would love to tell you that I am kind and loving to everyone. I am not. The driver that cuts me off on the highway does get a few words. I have a few unkind thoughts about the landscapers that only seem to be working nearby when I am on a video call. These are irritations for sure, but how do I deal with the people in my life? Good question.
A few years ago, I had a young lady in my class that frankly annoyed me. I get along with most people, and I could also tell that I was not her favorite person. At some point that semester, I read an article about complimenting people. Not like “ You are so smart.” but things like “That color looks nice on you, cute shoes, etc.” I tried it. When I stood at the door of my classroom, I would notice something about her and give her a compliment, which often led to a positive conversation. I won’t tell you that we became the best of friends, but it did help me to connect with her, and the year went much better.
Have you ever had a difficult boss? When I worked in a school, our department head retired, and they hired a new one. Logical, but it took everyone most of the school year to figure out that she was great on paper, but not in real life. She was difficult to work with, she frequently lied, and only did what was easy but expected the rest of us to be exemplary. We shared an office, lucky me. I shared my frustration one day at Bible study and the advice was “Pray for her.” Not what I wanted to do. I did start to pray for her every day and slowly my perspective changed.
There are lots of ways to love others. We get caught up in our own lives and fail to notice what is going on in someone else’s. A kind word or gesture goes farther than you know. Start where you are today and just love those who come into your world today, whether that be at work, at home, or in the grocery store. You may not see how that pays off, but it does. Imagine if everyone woke up each morning thinking about who they could bless that day with loving kindness. That would be a wonderful world. Let’s wake up tomorrow and get started. Who’s with me?
