Just because we know in part, doesn’t mean we can’t be confident in what we know. However, we should always walk in humility, knowing there is always more to every story.
We can have great confidence in the basic doctrines of faith that are clear in Scripture and should stand on these without compromise. At the same time, we can and should still have grace to those who do not see these doctrines as we do, because even basic Christian truths can’t be seen without the help of the Holy Spirit. Instead of arguing or rejecting those who do not see as we do, we should pray for the help of the Helper, who alone can open spiritual eyes. No one who is deceived knows they are deceived. If they did, they wouldn’t be deceived.
The Lord said if we give even the least of His people a cup of water, He considers it as us giving it to Him (see Matthew 10:42). What if we treated everyone as if they were the Lord Himself? Of course, we would show them love with the utmost dignity and respect. We would be patient and never try to take advantage of them. We would carefully listen and not interrupt them.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live or work where everyone treated others this way? It would be like heaven on earth! That is why we are here—to bring a taste of heaven to a world that is falling into increasing darkness, division, and lawlessness. By doing this, we prepare the way for His kingdom to come—a time when the whole earth will become like heaven.
I have been preaching this as the way we should treat others for a long time because I am trying to live this, but it’s not easy. I fall short continually, yet I think I am making progress. It’s a high mountain to climb but worth it. As we’re also told in 1 Corinthians 13, if we do not have love, all our other works will count for nothing.
Practicing good manners shows respect for others. This is one place we can all start. In a time when it is rare to show good manners, respect, and thoughtfulness toward others, Christians who start doing this will stand out like a city on a hill, just as we are called.
I have observed for many years how people with good manners tend to advance beyond others, and I try to teach this to our students. This major factor can make the difference between getting hired or promoted or not, therefore it can affect the quality of our lives. More importantly, this is a primary way we can demonstrate the nature of Christ. Even when we think people don’t notice, they do, and they remember.
How about our clothes? If we had a personal meeting with the leader of a country, would we not put on our best clothes and be as clean and well-groomed as possible? How about when we represent the King of kings? Doesn’t everything we do as Christians represent the King?
I remember Derek Prince say he woke up early so he could spend the first and best part of his day in prayer to the Lord. However, before he prayed, he showered and put on his best suit. Now, I don’t do that, but it really touched me that Derek did, and I think that also touched the Lord.
As the Lord shared in the parable of the wedding feast, the one who came improperly dressed to the wedding was thrown out. Obviously, being properly dressed for an occasion is important to the Lord. How we dress for a meeting reflects our level of respect for the one with whom we are meeting. How we dress is also one way people evaluate us. This is taught in business and leadership schools.
In these times when casual is becoming popular, even when it’s acceptable to be casual, we should be neat and clean. If we look like a slob, we’ll be thought of as one, and no child of the King should be a slob.
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