With the different opinions that we each have, it is OK to express your feelings. Now when I say that, I do not mean to express yourself in anger, in making someone feel they are lesser than you, or even making someone feel that you were the only one that is right.
Using anger to express yourself is wrong because it causes a wedge to come between you. If you respond in anger, the other probably will ignore what you are trying to tell them and your words fly off their shoulder. It causes the other to feel less important and that their feelings do not matter. God made us all different and not alike for a reason. He also says that some who do not know the truth have hardened their hearts and have veils over their eyes and heart.
If you want to express your feelings to someone and to get some issues off of your chest, the best way is to be gentle and to be encouraging. The phrase that says you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar is true. When you read the Bible, many of the writers will start out being encouraging so that it calms anger and frustrations. They are peaceful and then they can accomplish their task.
Many times there are those who think they know it all and they make the other person feel like their feelings are worthless and their opinions do not count. But I am telling you that every situation is important to each individual. Anyone who thinks they are better than the other is living under false belief.
In Romans 2:11, God says, “For God does not show favoritism.” We each will be held accountable to God and when it’s our time to go. It does not matter if you are the president, a lawyer, a doctor, a preacher, a regular person on this earth, or even me. We will all be judged according to his word. We are not above anyone else nor should we treat others as if we are. He created all of us to have different talents but all are alike in His eyes.
That being said, God’s Word says many things and one of those is to treat others with respect and try to be as peaceful as we can as much as it depends on us. We each have a responsibility to gently express if something is wrong, especially if we are Christians. Hammering at others to get your point across is not what He wants.
A gentle response goes a long way! We are all in this boat of living and we are all going to be held responsible to God, whether we believe in Him or not. But we as Christians have to do our best to help others and we have to be good listeners. Proverbs 19:27 says that if we answer before listening, it is shameful. James 1:19 says we should be quick to listen and slow to speak and be slow to become angry. Matthew 18:15 says to go point out their faults between the two of you who argue and if they listen, then you have won them over.
So not only should you speak in love and peace, you, as well as the other, should be good listeners. That is where He says He shows no partiality. We ALL have responsibilities to follow His Word. In this verse of Matthew, this verse is referring to Christians, but we are suppose to treat all as God would us right? Treat others, Christians or not, with the same respect and listening ear as Jesus would us!
We do not want others to feel that we are in power of them. We are not in charge of anyone. Yes, spouses have accountability toward each other and that is a whole new ballgame, but it still applies to couples. That is why there is a great bond between a husband and a wife. That is why many couples like my own marriage has lasted 30 years! They are supposed to listen to each other, help each other, and hold each other accountable.
No one should make the other person feel that they are lesser than anyone else. Just the opposite, God says that we are to make others feel more important than ourselves. That verse is Philippians 2:3. This world really lacks that right now. It used to be that you could make a trip to town and people would smile at you and say hello. Today there are so many full of hate and anger that they won’t even look at you. There is a lack of respectfulness such as opening a door for another or saying please and thank you.
It’s like this world is turning against each other and that is not what God said to do. We should respect each other and see to it that the other is made to feel important and that his feelings or her feelings are just as important. What is happening to our world right now? I’ll tell you what is happening and that is the devil. He has been working since the very beginning of time. He is a snake and he is trying to take away our hearts!
One of God’s most important rules for us was to love each other as we would love ourselves. Neighbors in the Bible meant everyone not just your next-door neighbor that lives next to you. What happened to love in this world? He is working overtime to destroy everyone and everything that God has created for good.
Now we must stand up and fight for God’s Word and follow through! Let’s work together to change and do what God wants us to do. Let’s work together to love, to make each other feel more important than ourselves, and to be good examples to others who really need it. Let us rise and listen to what others are saying to us and prayerfully they will listen to us also. Always be nice to each other and always be gentle because gentleness goes further than anger!
