I remember the conversation like it was yesterday.
His name was Jesse. He had been a Christian for about two years. He said, “I have learned so much about the bible over the last two years. I have discovered some things Jesus said to do and not do come easier for me than other things. I enjoy talking about the gospel. I like serving people as an honor to God and because of God’s grace toward me. I have picked up certain aspects of holiness quickly. But, there are other aspects that are really hard for me. I have a really hard time staying cool, patient and respectful when people are rude and disrespectful to me. In my former life, to put it mildly, I exploded first and worried about the consequences later! I never allowed anyone to walk away without expressing - sometimes rather colorfully - what I thought of their behavior and their person in particular. Turning this part of my heart and life over to God has been a real challenge for me. But, thanks be to God, I am making progress!”
Can you identify with Jesse?
Rudeness is everywhere. Heard any of these lately? “I need it now…please!” “What do you people do all day around here?” “Is there anyone here who is competent?” “I didn’t order it with mayonnaise.” “I’ve been waiting for someone to help me.” “You are so stupid.” “Just get it and get out.” “
Then there are those little detours in conversation when someone rolls by your life with a verbal semi-automatic and sprays your heart with a few sentences that let you know “I envy you…I don’t like you…I enjoy taking shots at you whenever I can…I resent what happened a while back and I’m going to make you pay for it with rude remarks laced with pseudo concern for “whatever”. Had one of those lately? And, as a sad sidebar, these experiences happen between Christians on far more occasions than we care to admit.
Jesse is right. Living out the gospel in such moments is hard as nails.
Paul reminds us that living in the Spirit puts us in the tension between rude moments and the exhortation to “be angry and sin not.” He continues, “…and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26). When we are treated as less than human these words from Paul are more than a snappy memory verse. They constitute a battleground!
It is in the tension of such moments that we have the opportunity to demonstrate what it means to be a person of faith. It is more than a list of beliefs we can rattle off with a moment’s notice. It is showing people that the Lordship of Christ is a rule we live by in everyday experience. In such moments we refuse to give vent to raw power and, defer instead to the Lordship of Christ. We do this because we do not want to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom we have been sealed for the day of redemp-tion” (Ephesians 4:30). In such moments we demonstrate we are children of God by walking in love (Ephesians 5:2) thereby imitating His Son who “while being reviled did not revile in return…while suffering, uttered no threats” (1 Peter 2:22-23)
In a world in which rudeness is becoming common parlance, we speak a different language. And, it is a language that rise above the acrimony in our streets and shows people in living color what restored humanity looks like in Jesus’ name.
O Father, grant us the strength of heart and mind to be focused in moments that cut us to the quick and lay our hearts open in unseemly ways. Help us to know the power of composure, peace and kindness in moments when we are mistreated by other people. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Randy Daugherty
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