A Christianity That Works

How To Treat People Wisely Part 9 of 15

Have you seen the bumper sticker that says, The more time I spend with people, the more I love my horse. The fact is, a lot of the problems we have in life are because of personality conflicts. It's important we learn how to get along with other people. Again we look to James for practical advice. “And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness”. James says, every day in every relationship, you're planting seeds, and inevitably you reap what you sow.

How you get along with other people shows how wise you really are.

If I’M WISE I WILL NOT COMPROMISE MY INTEGRITY.
"The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure..."
Pure means uncorrupted, authentic, genuine.

IF I AM WISE I WILL NOT ANTAGONIZE YOUR ANGER.
Some people are always arguing, always looking for a fight? Wise people work at maintaining harmony. Proverbs 20:3 Any fool can start arguments. The wise thing is to stay out of them.

The secret of wise relationships is knowing what to overlook.

IF I AM WISE I WON'T MINIMIZE YOUR FEELINGS.
Wisdom is considerate: "mindful of the feelings of others".

We often belittle people’s feelings. Feelings are neither right nor wrong, they're just feelings. When my wife has a feeling it's valid. Whether it's logical, whether it makes sense, the fact is she feels it. If I'm wise I'm not going to minimize that.

IF I'M WISE I WON'T CRITICIZE YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
A wise person can learn from anybody. Wisdom is submissive: submissive meaning reasonable, willing to listen, open to ideas and suggestions.

Most of us are oversensitive. If somebody makes a suggestion we take it as a personal criticism and we become defensive. James says that's dumb. A wise person can learn from anybody. Proverbs 12:15 A fool thinks he needs no advice. A wise man listens to others.

IF I'M WISE I WON'T EMPHASIZE YOUR MISTAKES.
Wisdom is full of mercy and good fruit. Do you jump on people every time they make a mistake? Cut them some slack.

Some people just hound you about your past. If I'm wise, with mercy I'll give you what you need, not what you deserve.

Two long-lost buddies meet at a convention they attended with their wives. The two guys sat in the lobby all night talking. When they realized the time they knew they’d be in trouble with their wives. The next day they happened to see each other. What did your wife say? I walked in the door and my wife got historical. Don't you mean hysterical? No, historical. She told me everything I ever did wrong.

If you're wise you don't rub it in, you rub it out.

IF I'M WISE, I WON'T DISGUISE MY OWN WEAKNESSES.
The mark of a wise person is they don't hide or disguise their own weaknesses. When you reveal your weaknesses to others, they won’t be shocked, they already know.

I don’t know about you, but there were a few things in the above notes that need my attention. I hope you enjoyed “How to deal wisely with people”, part 9 of a 15 part mini series entitled “A Christianity That Works” we are studying at The Gathering Place.