Chapter 16 – Behavior 13 – Habits of Adding Values to Others– God Cares About How We Treat People

I remember back in middle school there was a girl who was very unpopular. I had never had a chance to interact with her so I had no clue why everyone treated her so poorly. Then one day as I was walking down the hall I saw her fall to the ground and have a seizure. I remember thinking surly this isn't why people make fun of her. But we all know how cruel middle schoolers are. This is exactly why they made fun of her. She struggled all through middle school and high school. I remember when we all turned 16 and could get our license and she couldn't because of her seizures.

About a year ago I reconnected with this person on Facebook a little over two decades out of middle school. I remember thinking how bad I felt for her then and how much I wanted to be her friend, but didn't know how. She actually thanked me for being her friend and for always talking to her. She thanked me for showing her there were good people in the word, people who cared. What I felt was an insignificant act on my part was actually something that had changed her and made her feel loved.

Joyce talks about how God cares about how we treat people. My oldest's memory verse form church has been:
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)
If you are also part of he "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God" Study you'll notice that Deuteronomy 6:5 is a part of this verse, but I wanted to focus on the last part where it says love your neighbor as yourself (See also Leviticus 19:18).

What would it look like if everyone treated their neighbors how they want to be treated? In today's me society it seems like most people only think about themselves. My husband is a teacher and he is always complaining about the younger generation and how they want everything handed to them on a platter and how they don't want to do certain activities because they cannot see what's in it for me.

In today's society where we can send a letter at a push of a button and it can be sent across the world to be read instantaneously, we can text our spouses and expect an immediate response, we can see others lives on social media, we can watch TV/news on our computers, and we can form relationships online. Who needs to leave their house?

I don't know which product it is for, but there is a commercial that has a lad looking at window displays of block parties.  It says that we should try to make our way back to that type of society. I think the world would look like a different place if we actually loved our neighbor.

So today remember God cares about how we treat people. Maybe you are walking to the bus stop on your way from work and see someone who looks upset and you wave and smile at them, maybe you great the cashier at the grocery store and ask how her day is going, maybe you go introduce yourself to your neighbor and see if they need anything, maybe you choose a employee and spend some time getting to know them a little, or maybe you invite a person who you know is struggling. This week pray to God about a task you can do to love a neighbor and then do it. Let's change the world one person at a time.

Dear God, Thank you that you care how we treat others. My prayer is for you to lay someone on each participant's heart this week that they need to help in some way.  Let them start with something small. I know that by them helping this person you have chosen for them their life will be changed. Please bless them as they help to extend your kingdom here in this broken world. Please help us to change hearts and minds one person at a time. In Jesus name. Amen.

Until next week, Agape, Kara