Do your words and actions model Jesus? In other words, do your words and actions line up with Jesus? Do you portray Christlike characteristics, or do you portray characteristics of the world? Does being extremely rude to a salesperson at the door show others that you are a follower of Christ? Did you ever think that maybe you could have planted a seed in that person’s life when you opened the door? Now that opportunity to share the Truth with that person is lost because you chased that person away. Does being rude to people at a grocery store show others that you are a follower of Christ? How would you want to be treated? Would you want someone to be rude or mean to you, or would you want someone to treat you with grace and love? There is an important verse to remember in Luke 6:31 (NLT) that Jesus shared with his followers and the crowds of people at the sermon on the mount “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
That is a powerful verse - "Do to others as you would like them to do to you." And the greatest role model for us all is Christ Jesus. Throughout his ministry he treated others with love, grace, mercy, and kindness. Jesus loved even those who persecuted him and mocked him. As Christians, we need to model these same characteristics. Remember, all of us are sinners, all of us were once difficult people, and all of us do not deserve His grace.
Human relations can be difficult, but we all have our faults and shortcomings. We are all like broken vessels that have many cracks. But now, Christian brothers and sisters, we have been made new by the Master Potter. We have a chance to be used by the Master Potter to help grow the seed or to help water the seed. How? By showing love to others, by being tolerant, by showing grace to others, by being kind, by having empathy toward others, by being humble, by giving of oneself, by practicing hospitality, by being fair and reasonable, and by striving to be holy. And it has been said that the best manual on human relations - is the Bible. There are many passages in the Bible that can guide us in how we are to treat others. For example, Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Or another great verse is in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
We are accountable to God for all of our own actions and words. How we respond to others bears witness to this. Will you practice what you read in the Bible; or will you practice what the world has taught you? What can you model that will show others how great Jesus is and might soften their hearts to want to get to know him? In Ephesians 4: 17-24 Paul testifies how we are to model ourselves as new vessels,
"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
We are new vessels now. We no longer have impurities that can weaken a vessel. We have been made new, created after His likeness. How can we, who have received forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace from God, not show godly characteristics towards others? If we do not, how can we call ourselves Christians.
As Christians, we are to love and show grace and mercy towards others, even to those who are non-believers or those who are difficult. We cannot do this on our own. We must seek God and his Word. Lean on Him. Only with His help will we be molded and shaped into followers that model Him. Perhaps in showing love and kindness towards others, hearts will be softened, and seeds will be planted, and our words and actions will show others what the Gospel message is all about - love and redemption.
Heavenly Father,
You know our hearts and minds. We who fail time and time again, yet You continue to show us love, mercy, and grace. Help us to do the same. Help us to be models that exemplify You. We humbly thank you Lord for allowing Your Son to die on the cross all those years ago. Just as Christ Jesus was nailed to the cross, so were our sins nailed to the cross. We praise You, we thank You, and we love You.
Amen.
