We make many choices every day. Our choices determine what our life will look like. That is why it’s so important to always ask ourselves, what is the wise thing to do or what is the right thing to do, and not what we want now at all costs or what would be nice now. In that way we can save ourselves much grief and pain in future.
In our relations with people, we can, in every situation, choose how we want to react. The previous message dealt with the new commandment of Jesus: “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34). This new commandment: love one another”, means that that in all in our relations and in every situation we should ask what love demands of us. It should determine our reactions. We may, for example, choose not to forgive someone, and then suffer as a result. We may choose to react in anger and later regret it. God’s commands are intended to protect us against the consequences of poor choices. To be happy people in our relations with others, we must choose to obey Jesus’ commandment every time, namely: love one another.
To believers the Holy Spirit is given: This is how we know that we abide in him and he in us: he has given us his Spirit (1 John 4:13). God wants to help us through the Holy Spirit who resides in us: But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (Gal. 5:22 – 23). Paul says about this love: Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:4 – 5).
Someone once said “to do carefully and constantly and kindly many little things, is not a little thing.” If one reflects upon one’s life, it is often the little things that one remembers: Someone who praised you as a child one day. A simple picnic with your parents. On the other hand, you also recall bad things that people did to you. An unfriendly word. Someone who humiliated you. But also many things you have done to others. You saw their tears. Also many things you could have done but failed to do.
In our relationships we must choose correctly before it’s too late. Someone wrote: “What, if anything, do I now know that I wish I knew at 21? He includes the following: “Mercy is greater than justice. Kindness is better than being right. Serving is better than being served. Prayer is more powerful than persuasion. Giving is sweeter than gaining…” Someone else wrote: “If I had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self-esteem first and the house later. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I would care to know less and know to care more. I’d take more hikes en fly more kites. I’d do more hugging en less tugging. I would be firm less often and affirm much more…”
Jesus says: “Why do you not judge for yourselves the right thing to do?” (Luke 12:57). Choose to do the right thing timely.
Our Father, help us to always ask what would be the right thing to do. Amen.
Gert Berning
