Skip to main content

Friday... This can make such a difference in our relationships.


Friday... This can make such a difference in our relationships.

At one point in my life I decided in my relationships to give people the benefit of doubt in their actions toward me. And I still strive to do it. And it really has make a difference in my attitude toward people. That came about during my time in striving to become a positive person. 


Now the Bible has some reinforcement of this. 

Psalm 75:7 (NLT) says, "It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall." Now Jesus on the cross was a great example of this. In Luke 23:34 he said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." He knew that it was not up to him to judge them but his Father and Jesus was asking for God's grace to be upon them. Grace is another way to say giving them the benefit of doubt. That was how Jesus handled the injustice of them killing an innocent, perfect man. Judgement to him was what God did but he also knew of God's amazing grace. Jesus in his humaneness was giving them grace. He was giving them the benefit of doubt. "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

Grace or giving them the benefit of doubt instead of judgement can make such a difference in our relationships.

Proverbs 15 has some thoughts on this, verses that reinforce this. 

Verse 1 says, "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare."

Verse 4, "Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." The Amplified Bible says, "A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, but a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit."

Judgement doesn't bring gentle words, speaking words that build up and encourage but grace does. "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

Verse 18 NLT), "A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them."

Verse 23, "Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time."

Verse 28 says, "The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words." The Message says, "Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people; the wicked are sewers of abuse."

Again Jesus on the cross about ready to die an unjust death prays in Luke 23:34, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

Giving people the benefit of doubt can make such a difference in our relationships. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...