Don't Be Rude
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:5
“Don’t be rude,” is one of my granddaughter’s favorite lines. I’m not sure what she thinks it means. She usually says it when I tease her about something. Well, maybe she is on track with that one. Rudeness here means not behaving in an unbecoming manner. It means that we don’t act inappropriately. In this context, it would mean that we chose to act in ways that appropriately help others.
I’ve half-jokingly said before that one of my spiritual gifts is sarcasm. I don’t believe that all sarcasm is wrong. The prophets, Jesus, and the apostles all have their sarcastic moments. At the same time, I have come to see that I can unintentionally cut and slice when it isn’t necessary or helpful to other people. It might get a laugh, but it might also hurt the person who is the target of the joke. So, I’ve been learning to pull it back, use it sparingly, and much more wisely.
Why? Because it’s rude. At least some of the time. And that’s not loving. To love others, we have to treat them with respect and courtesy. We have to have good manners. I’m aiming for that with God’s help.
