Be Careful How You Respond

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8

The city I live in recently put up a sign on one of the busiest avenues in town. The sign flashes yellow and reads, “Drive with caution. High accident area.” I usually try to avoid this avenue, but sometimes there is just no other way to get where I need to go. I have had a few close calls. Although I would consider myself a cautious driver, I can’t control the way everyone else is driving. I just have to stay alert and be careful how I respond.

Life can be kind of like driving on a busy avenue. No matter how cautious you are, you can’t control how everyone else is driving. You just have to stay alert and be careful how you respond.

You may not get the best service at your favorite restaurant, but before jumping to conclusions about your server, take time to think about her situation. Maybe she just got news from the school that her daughter is sick and needs to be picked up. Perhaps she doesn’t have the best home life or she’s worried about her financial future. You might ask if she’s doing okay today or just leave her a decent tip as a way of encouraging her. Be careful how you respond.

Sometimes people can be unpleasant or even unkind. There is nothing you can do about that. But you have complete control over your response. After all, God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. That means that while we were still shaking our fists at God and cursing those made in His image, He was sending His Son to die for us. He didn’t wait for us to get our act together. He didn’t avoid the avenue. He responded by showing His great love for us while we were still committing the deeds against him.