live

Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrongs or exploits a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly towards outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, NRSV)

How easy is it to treat people like you want to be treated rather than how they deserve to be treated?

It is not easy to treat people the way that God treats you, forgiving your short comings and know that you do not do the things you do to intentionally cause pain to God.

God wants us to live in a way that we show His love towards others and not treat them like we think they deserve to be treated.

Because as many people as you would like to do something terrible to for the way they treat you, they want to do that to you for the way you treat them.

We need to rise above society and treat others with the respect they deserve because they are God’s children just like us.

We do not get anything for it. We do not earn our way to God’s good graces. We do not get a better seat at the end, but we live this way because that is what God has asked us to do.

We are called to be over and above, in and not of this world to help point the way to the one who created all of us and wants to be with and in all of us.

So live like a Christian that helps others to see God!