Christianity is NOT for Wimps!

     Recently I had a talk with a friend. I did not like the way I had seen him treat someone younger than himself. The younger one was rude but this rudeness was not met with patient correction. My friend thought that what he did was OK and that is was just the way things were between older and younger boys. I did not think it was right at all especially in the kingdom of God.
     I got to thinking and thought of someone else this friends age whom I have a lot of respect for. I knew that he would never mistreat someone younger even if he did not particularly like that person. I knew that he would be kind and respectful.
     Oh how easy it is to choose rudeness! Oh how difficult to say something nice when sarcasm is shoving forward on the tip of your tongue! What a fight to be good, humble, kind, patient, respectful, silent! When was the last time you had to struggle to say something mean when someone was annoying you? Probably never, right?
     Respect. You can get it by two methods:   Intimidation or love. The former is a respect where others end up not knowing how to be around you. They probably learn to stay away and not to stand up to you. When you are never contradicted you may think you have gained respect, but you have really lost it.
     The latter (love) respecting others, treating them as if they really matter, as if they are equals. What a more stout respect you will find! Others will want to be around you, they will desire to please you and they'll talk about how they love you. They know you respect them, that you care. You are respected, and, miraculously, loved. This is the way it should be - at least in the kingdom of God.
     Many people who are tough and mean look really strong but deep down they are just afraid and have fallen back on the easiest thing to do. They put on a false outer layer. Someone meek and kind may look very weak in the worlds eyes but they have found the truth and have stepped out in courage to stand up for what they believe. Christianity is not for wimps!