Saturday, January 15, 2011
2:08 PM | 
Posted by
Brian Gudgel
Spend just a few minutes reading the comments section of a newspaper article or popular blog and one cannot help but notice the incredible amount of cynicism in our culture today. Ironically, in a time when we emphasize tolerance and understanding, we seem to act in the complete opposite manner on the internet. Rarely will you find someone giving a compliment or yielding to someone else's viewpoint on the internet. It is never "cool" to compliment and praise, only to criticize and tear down.
I am yet to see a single debate on the internet that ended with agreement. Usually, people end up farther apart after the debate than they were before it started. The internet polarizes people.
I worry that this is becoming so common and accepted that it is beginning to spread from the internet into our everyday interactions. Are we becoming less gracious and less forgiving because of the habits we develop online? As Christians, this is not acceptable. The Bible is very clear about how we are to treat others.
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." -Philippians 2:3-4
"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." -Colossians 3:12-14
It is not exactly easy to consistently act this way, but I have found an idea that works for me. It's a phrase that reminds me to go easy on people and not act like I have everything figured out while nobody else does:
Life. It's everybody's first time.
That saying always gives me the proper perspective. It is difficult to extend grace to others when they have terrible ideas or make bad decisions, but by remembering that it is their first time through life, just like me and everyone else, it is a little easier for me to be gracious to them. We all make mistakes and we all make bad decisions. Nobody does everything perfectly the first time through. It's everybody's first time. Everybody is trying to do what they think is best. How about we all try to be a little more gracious, a little more constructive, and a lot less cynical
God bless.
I am yet to see a single debate on the internet that ended with agreement. Usually, people end up farther apart after the debate than they were before it started. The internet polarizes people.
I worry that this is becoming so common and accepted that it is beginning to spread from the internet into our everyday interactions. Are we becoming less gracious and less forgiving because of the habits we develop online? As Christians, this is not acceptable. The Bible is very clear about how we are to treat others.
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." -Philippians 2:3-4
"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." -Colossians 3:12-14
It is not exactly easy to consistently act this way, but I have found an idea that works for me. It's a phrase that reminds me to go easy on people and not act like I have everything figured out while nobody else does:
Life. It's everybody's first time.
That saying always gives me the proper perspective. It is difficult to extend grace to others when they have terrible ideas or make bad decisions, but by remembering that it is their first time through life, just like me and everyone else, it is a little easier for me to be gracious to them. We all make mistakes and we all make bad decisions. Nobody does everything perfectly the first time through. It's everybody's first time. Everybody is trying to do what they think is best. How about we all try to be a little more gracious, a little more constructive, and a lot less cynical
God bless.
Labels:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment