November 22, 2006
How Rude!
Dear Friend,
What images does the word “rude” call up in your thinking? Everyone has an unpleasant memory from experiencing a rude person. Some of us have guilty memories about being rude to others. Sometimes I fear that we accept rudeness in ourselves and in others as a normal and inescapable aspect of life.
We do not have to surrender to the tyranny of rudeness. God provides five ways to deal with rude people without becoming rude ourselves.
- Mercy: This grace permits us to forgive the ignorance and injustice of discourteous people.
- Grace: This means treating people better than what they deserve. We can avoid the ugliness of returning insolence for insolence by treating people better than they deserve.
- Slow to Anger: If we unleash our anger in bad-mannered ways, we join the cause of rudeness in the world. But if we control our anger, we limit rudeness by being polite and civil.
- Love: Perhaps rudeness is a way of life because love isn’t. I believe showing undeserved love to a rude person both convicts and corrects some of their acrimonious attitudes.
- Faithfulness: Perhaps this is our most powerful weapon against rudeness. We establish our personal standard of civility and remain faithful to it because of our desire to be noble – even in a rude world.
Never be overcome by rudeness, but overcome rudeness with grace. Or as Christ taught: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If we desire to be treated with courtesy, we must teach even rude people a better way by being courteous to them.
“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
Psalm 86:15 ESV
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
