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how we treat others

The way that we deal with the people around us speaks volumes about what we think about ourselves.  If you don’t love ourselves, we cannot love others.  If we don’t accept ourselves and deal with our faults, we have major trouble accepting others.  I challenge each of us to watch how we treat the people we are around this week.  Make sure you make notes, at least mental ones, about the people closest to us and those we don’t know.
 
Ephesians 4:32  NLT
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
 
Kindness and forgiveness are great friends.  You almost cannot have one without the other.
 
Colossians 3:13  NLT
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
 
Matthew 7:3  NLT
And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
 
Making allowance for others as this has a lot to do with giving people room to be themselves, make their own decisions whether right or wrong.
 
Ephesians 4:15  NLT
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
 
Proverbs 27:6  NLT
Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.
 
Use words to build people up which means we must be honest and kind at the same time.  It is possible.  Growing up includes sharing with others what is on your mind and in your heart.
 
James 5:16  NLT
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
 
This is a big deal to me.  Far too many people promise that they will pray for another person but forget to pray or may not even intend to pray.  It is the so-called Christian thing or response to say “I will pray for you”.  But we don't.  Stop and pray for those you know are in need.  It will make a difference in your life and in those you seek to share with or to serve.
 
The last thing I draw our attention or our actions to has to do with genuinely loving others.  Kids know if you mean what you say.  The world looks at the church or believers and has a hard time taking us at our word.  We fight and fuss about so many things.  Love ought to be the most important thing to us and what we give to others.  Just like God loves us we love others, all others.
 
1 John 3:18  NLT
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
 
Be kind and forgive.  Give people room to make choices.  Speak the truth to those you talk to.  Pray for people, those close and far from you, each and every day.  Finally, love people every chance you get.  That is the way God treats us.  Let’s treat others the same way!

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