We all probably recognize this verse as one of the Ten Commandments. If you are a good Lutheran you will know that Martin Luther takes it a step further in his Small Catechism:
"We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbour, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way."
If we are completely honest, most of us probably fall way short on that last line... "explain everything in the kindest way." Most of us prefer to think the worst of others. Are they rich? They must be crooked. Are they poor? They must be lazy. Do they have a difficult child? They are too permissive as parents. Are their children more successful than yours? They must have been extremely strict and overbearing parents.
Why do we speak negatively about others? Sometimes it is to alleviate our guilt. If we can believe our neighbor is poor because he is lazy, we don't have to feel guilty about our wealth and we don't feel compelled to help. Sometimes it is to make ourselves feel superior. We build up our own self esteem at the expense of another's.
But God wants us to put other's before ourselves and to humble ourselves and serve. We can't do that with the right heart if we have taught ourselves to disrespect our neighbor. When we treat others with respect and love and understanding, we find a new respect and love and understanding for ourselves. By building up others, we also build up ourselves.
William Arthur Ward said it like this:
"When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves."Let us all make a special effort today to explain everything about everyone in the kindest way.
Lord Jesus,
You always want us to go the extra step beyond just meeting the law. You want us to embrace it with our hearts in a way that we know it is not "good works" but a part of who we are in You. Help us to speak more kindly of one another. Amen.
Joys: Doing my morning yoga with Cecelia; a visit with Emma yesterday; Kevin's birthday
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