Pastor and 1st Lady Mims

Mims Chapel Church

Lesson 6 • First Week

Treating Others Right

Background Reading

Zechariah 7:9; Joshua 2:12-14; Luke 6:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18; Philemon 1:7-10; 2 Timothy 1:16-18

Devotional Reading

2 Samuel 9:1-13

Central Verse
"And be ye kind one to another, ten- "Instead, be kind to each other, ten-
derhearted, forgiving one another, derhearted, forgiving one another, just
even as God for Christ's sake hath as God through Christ has forgiven
forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32, KJV you." Ephesians 4:32, NLT

Key Terms
Tenderhearted—Easily moved to love, pity, or sorrow; compassionate.

Vitriol—Bitterly harsh or caustic language or criticism; something (as written or spoken words) thought to be as harsh and burning as acid.

Pervades—To spread through all parts of; permeate.

Introduction

Treating others right is a choice. A person chooses to be kind, thoughtful, and selfless because it reflects the heart of Jesus Christ. Having Jesus on the inside helps a believer to have greater self-compassion as he sees himself through the eyes of God. When a person learns to be kind and nice to himself, it's much easier for him to choose to be nice to others.

Now, remember there is a difference between being kind and being nice. It is easy to fake nice but hard to fake kindness because kindness is selfless. It is loving and genuine kindness is costly because it mimics Jesus. It lets others know that the old man of sin has been transformed. Striving to be kind is striving to be like Jesus. But when a believer can remember how kind God has been to him, he can respond by being kind to others.

Discussion

David had ascended the throne after the death of King Saul. Usually, when a new administration came into power on that day, they killed or got rid of all the families of the old regime. But because David was a "man after God's heart," he sought to do what was right, and that was to treat others right. There is an old proverb that says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This is a good proverb to pattern a person's life after.

After David got settled, he asked if anyone was left from the house of Saul so that he could show them kindness for his friend Jonathan's sake. This was not required of David, but because he wanted to remember the kindness Jonathan had shown him and because he wanted to treat people right, he pursued this question. When doing what is right is inside of a person, it's not hard to do what is right.

One of the servants from Saul's house was there, and he was able to tell David that there was a son of Jonathan who was lame on both his feet yet living. David enquired about his whereabouts and found that he was living in a place called Lodebar. David immediately sent for Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan (Saul's son).

His first words to Mephibosheth were words of reassurance, letting him know that he was not there for any other reason but to be treated with kindness. This young man had experienced an unhappy tragedy in his life and, like so many people, needed some kindness shown to him. David brought this young man into his house, made provisions for him, and allowed him to sit and eat at his table.

The New Testament tells the story of a slave who had been mistreated, so he ran away from his master. He was blessed to meet the Apostle Paul and because of this encounter, he was introduced to Jesus and a better way of living. Sinner's lives should change when they meet a real Saint of God because we should be atmosphere changers. Believers do not have to participate in the atmosphere of vitriol that pervades the culture they are in. They should demonstrate the kindness of God in the way they treat others as well as what they say to others. They can make a difference by practicing intentional kindness in the midst of all the darkness in their culture.

Because of the kindness of this slave Onesimus, Paul wrote a letter to Philemon asking him to receive Onesimus as a brother. Paul acknowledged that at one time, Onesimus had been unprofitable to Philemon, but now he was a servant of Jesus Christ and was profitable to him and would be to his master. He asked Philemon to receive Onesimus as he would receive himself and if he had any debts to him, charge it to him (Paul). He asked Philemon to show Onesimus the same kindness he would show him, the Apostle Paul. Sometimes a kind word to someone in authority is all a person needs to get his life back in order to experience a better life. So be kind to one another, tenderhearted and forgiving one another.

Stop holding grudges against one another; let them go because if a person wants God's kindness and forgiveness, he must forgive others. Some people find it difficult to forgive others, especially if they feel the person wronged them without a reason. But whether there is a reason or not, believers must forgive those who trespass against them. Believers must make the decision to treat everyone right.

Conclusion

It's nice just to be nice, but it is even better to let someone know you are nice. Believers need to remember that they are the light of the world, and if anyone should be kind to others, it should be them. Our world is filled with darkness, evil, wicked, mean, and hateful people, and God wants His children to bring light, kindness, joy, peace, and happiness to those around them. A person can easily find a reason to ignore or be mean to others if they look for it. But they must let their light of love and kindness shine everywhere they go. It is with love and kindness that believers can draw the sinners. It doesn't cost much to be nice and treat others fairly.

Questions

How much does it cost a person to treat everyone right?
What are some of the benefits of treating others right?
Why does God demand that believers treat believers right?
Why must a believer be kind and forgive others?

Essential Thought- "Believers must be righteous in every situation they find themselves in because they represent God at all times."