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Be Courteous, Lifting Others’ Burdens, as Did Jesus,
Nobember 25
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as
brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or
reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were
called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8, 9
, NKJV.
Those who work for Christ are to be pure, upright, and trustworthy, and they
are also to be tenderhearted, compassionate, and courteous. There is a charm in the
dealings and conversation of those who are truly courteous. Kind words, pleasant
looks, a courteous demeanor, are of inestimable value. Uncourteous Christians, by
their neglect of others, show that they are not in union with Christ. It is impossible
to be in union with Christ and yet be uncourteous.
What Christ was in His life on this earth, that every Christian should be. He
is our example, not only in His spotless purity but in His patience, gentleness,
and winsomeness of disposition. He was as firm as a rock where truth and duty
were concerned, but He was invariably kind and courteous. His life was a perfect
illustration of true courtesy. He had ever a kind look and a word of comfort for the
needy and oppressed.
His presence brought a purer atmosphere into the home, and His life was as
leaven working amid the elements of society. Harmless and undefiled, He walked
among the thoughtless, the rude, the uncourteous; amid the unjust publicans, the
unrighteous Samaritans, the heathen soldiers, the rough peasants, and the mixed
multitude. He spoke a word of sympathy here, and a word there, as He saw people
weary, and compelled to bear heavy burdens. He shared their burdens, and repeated
to them the lessons He had learned from nature of the love, the kindness, the
goodness of God.
He sought to inspire with hope the most rough and unpromising, setting before
them the assurance that they might become blameless and harmless, attaining such
a character as would make them manifest as children of God....
The love of Christ mellows the heart and smooths all roughness from the
disposition. Let us learn from Him how to combine a high sense of purity and
integrity with sunniness of temperament. A kind, courteous Christian is the most
powerful argument in favor of the gospel that can be produced.—
The Review and
Herald, August 20, 1959
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