Friday, November 2, 2012

OWEN



Good morning! I am Owen Weddle, Associate Pastor at Central.



Relationships with people can be difficult at times. Sometimes it seems that another person's frustration comes out of nowhere. We readily respond to them with anger. Or, in this time of the presidential election, it is like a powder keg; people can explode at each other with just the slightest spark of politics. Or in a few weeks, the Egg Bowl is coming up: Bulldogs and Rebels can move into heated arguments over whose team is better. We are programmed to respond to people the way they respond to us.



But in Luke 6:31, Jesus says “Do to others as you want them to do to you.” But this isn't simply an exercise in moral logic. It is a word of wisdom: if you want people to respond positively to you, do it to them first.  When we don't respond to anger with anger, bitterness with bitterness, but instead respond to anger with kindness and bitterness with celebration, then there is hope that the other person's tune will change and a godly, friendly relationship can grow.



May God bless you!