Thursday, February 5, 2009

gracious responses

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter 3:18

Grow in grace, not in only one type of grace, but in all forms of gracious response.

Gracious response, although I have never seen these words used together before, I knew exactly what it meant when I read it today. It was referring to something I am not very good at. My responses are quite often not well thought out, just a reflex to what someone else says.

A great friend and one of our Magnification Staff Steve, and I have two secret words we say to one another over our headsets. If one of us sounds less than kind to our amazing volunteers, Rabbit Ears is our code for "that didn't sound very nice"!

Gracious: 1. pleasantly kind, benevolent, and courteous.

Response: 1. an answer or reply, as in words or in some action.

If someone was describing how you generally respond would this be the phrase they would use to describe your response? Gracious response? Occasionally maybe, but if you're like me, not often enough.

I wonder how it felt to be perfect, without sin, and still to be verbally abused and accused like Jesus was? Are we shocked that The Pharisees taunted him and tried to trap him with their words, that the crowd yelled crucify Him and the cock crowed as Peter used his words to deny he even knew Jesus. Are our words so much different? Don't our gossip and angry words deny we know Him? Don't they divide the church and distract us? Don't they make it much harder for the lost to see Him in us?

It is dangerous to write about this. What I write about, people have a right to hold me accountable to. I want to respond this way... graciously. He died for ungracious responses, for dishonesty, for pride, for unkindness, for His church, for me.

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