I wonder how much grief we'd avoid if we truly tried to see things from other people's perspectives. I'm not talking about accepting people's false biblical beliefs. That's never a good thing.
But it's easy to slip into a mindset where we magnify negatives, misunderstand motives, and ignore extenuating circumstances.
I don't want to put people in a box, but I think there are 3 general categories:
1. Prickly People, who are genuinely hard to get along with because they refuse correction and most of the time they behave immature and selfish.
2. Normal people, who are growing in their faith. They still struggle with selfishness and immaturity, but they're learning and they accept correction.
3. Abnormally nice people, who have matured in their faith and rarely act selfishly.
Most of us fall into category #2, and if we want to be in category #3, we need to:
1. Give others the benefit of the doubt if we're unsure about a situation (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
2. Give others grace and forgiveness when they fail, knowing we also fail at times (Ephesians 4:32).
3. Acknowledge our sins and repent when we're selfish (1 John 1:9).
Jesus summed it up this way:
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12 NLT
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For more insights: How Not to Say I'm Sorry and That's Just the Way I Am.
This must be confirmation, My morning bible study was this very scripture. Treat people the way you want to be treated, let God handle the rest. It's not how people treat us, it's how we respond . That's what God sees. Amen
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