It’s Halloween, and the “saying of the day” is “Trick or Treat!” This phrase goes back to medieval times when people would go from house to house on November 2nd (All Souls Day) to ask for food in exchange for prayers for the dead. In the United States, “trick or treating” didn’t start until the late 1920s, and adults were not happy about the practice of children demanding to get a treat or threatening to do some mischievous deed. Today, Halloween treats are usually made of sugar and chocolate, but how we “treat” others means a whole lot more.
In Ephesians 4:30, Paul urged the church in Ephesus to “be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another , even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” There are many signs in yards around our town that say “Be Kind.” I love seeing these little reminders that of all the things that you can be – being kind isn’t expensive. It never goes out of style, and it’s always appropriate to react with kindness. The “golden rule” is to “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them. . .” (Matthew 7:12) If you want others to treat you with respect, be respectful. If you want others to “go the extra mile for you,” then, you need to show them how by doing so to others. We are to “not render evil for evil unto any many, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men” (I Thessalonians 5:15). Do you strive to seek good for others and not just for yourself? We are to “forbear one another and forgive one another” (Colossians 3:13). Holding a grudge doesn’t hurt the other person (they might not even know about it!), but it can cause you to lose your soul. But, “above all these things, put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:14) By putting on love, we will be able to “treat” others the way that we should.
I used to always hear that to have true JOY, you must put J-Jesus first, O-Others second, and Y-Yourself last, but through the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that we should consider the “second commandment” – “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:31). You can’t love others until you learn to love yourself. You must realize your importance – that Christ died on the cross for YOU! YOU are a child of the King! When we love ourselves, and then, we will be able to share love with others.
Think about it. Do you want others to smile at you? Smile at them first! May your day be full of treats! Simply blessed, Courtney
VERY GOOD