Best Behavior
Posted on Feb 08, 2008 under Family |Be patient with everyone.
1 Thessalonians 5:14
How often are we more polite, more patient, with total strangers than we are with our own families? How many times in a day do we snap at our children or spouses? Why are we more careful to smile at a fellow shopper at the grocery store than at our own family members?
I’m so guilty of this that it’s shameful. I’ve caught myself losing my patience with one of the kids or being really annoyed at my husband and then suddenly, when the phone rings, my voice is all sweetness. I don’t know who is on the other end of that phone but I’m still kinder and more considerate of this unknown person than those I live with and love with all my heart.
It’s obvious that we tend to forget our manners with our families because these are our “safe” people. We know that we’re loved and we don’t have to try to win them over. And yet, these are the people who deserve the best treatment possible because they do love us.
I’m pretty sure that the message I send my kids through my actions is not the same message that comes out of my mouth. I need to remember how important these people in my family are and treat them with all the love and patience that God has for me.
