Choices

Why do I choose to be nice...even when I am not treated nicely?

* Because God has chosen to respond to my sin with GRACE.

We are to have the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5) He died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8) It is God's grace that carries us from our sin into His forgiveness. (Ephesians2:8&9) Also, that grace was a gift of God's. Me showing grace to another person is a gift from me to them. It is only by God's grace that we are able to love anyone who hurts us. I think of the ways I have hurt God, but yet He continues to love me and continually shows His love for me in tangible ways. My passion and compassion for others is my response to the grace that He has given us. It is only by the grace of God that I am where I am today. My desire is to share that grace with others, that they may know HIM.

I Peter 4:1&2 "So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning. And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God." The same attitude there is translated- mind - in the King James Version of the Bible. If we have the same attitude of Christ we will not bend towards sin. I Peter 3:17 says "For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing" and earlier...Peter in I Peter 3:8 & 9 says "Finally, all of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it." Peter says that we will be blessed if we respond to evil with good!

*God will fight our fight for us.

Romans 12:19 "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath {of God,} for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord."

Exodus 14:14 "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."


* We need to put others first.

Eph 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Phil 2:3 - "In humility consider others better than yourselves"
This verse doesn't say that we only need to consider those people that are nice to us better than ourselves. It says OTHERS~! That is everyone - the good, the bad and the ugly~!

* We will reap what we sow~!

Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."...and it goes on to say in verse 9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

This is just the beginning of why I must treat others with kindness...even when I am not being shown kindness. This is a choice that I must make. Please add to my list~! We all need reminders to respond to others with kindness.

Two choices on the shelf,
pleasing God or pleasing self!