The two rules were simple and had a reasonable basis for their existence: The green grass outside the house had bare areas of dusty, brown soil which was easily tracked inside. Also, the new, clean carpet that made the interior of the home so pleasant was a light beige color. In order to keep it in a condition that the family could enjoy playing and relaxing on it, Dad and Mom had two simple rules:
1. Remove shoes when entering the home.
2. Place rubber boots in the boot box.
The kids enjoyed exploring and playing on the 30+ acres of land comprising their ranch home. But their daily excursions often took them through areas of water which turned dust into very sticky mud. Rubber boots obviously were the easiest, most sensible footwear when the grass was wet or a trip to the pond was planned.
One morning their four-year-old popped in the door after an early morning expedition, rubber boots covered with mud. Dad watched as his boy carefully slipped out of the muddy, wet boots, leaving them on the tiled entryway floor.
Obviously, the little guy had done things half-right . . . or he had done them half-wrong. Dad would have to decide in what spirit to view the situation.
He chose the right one and won his boy’s heart.
“You really did well to remember to take off your boots. That was very good and Daddy and Mommy are very happy.”
The boy’s smiling, eager face showed the positive effect of Daddy’s words.
Then Dad continued, “Now would you take your boots to the box and put them back inside?”
Still smiling, the little guy immediately picked them up and put them in their proper place.
A frowning face or harsh reprimand from Dad would have produced the same results—the muddy boots would have ended up in the box where they belonged. But there would have been no happy little boy who, confident in Daddy’s love, ran off to play.
The Spirit of Christ
The spirit in which we act towards each other can make or break an assembly, our families or our marriages. We ought ever to look at ourselves as ten thousand talent debtors (see Matt. 18:2424And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. (Matthew 18:24)) while viewing our brethren as one hundred pence debtors. This will result in our being “kind . . . tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:3232And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)).
The Spirit of a Scorpion
One of the most glaring failures of the spirit in which we deal with each other is seen in the life of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12). The people may well have been wrong and ungrateful when they came to Solomon’s son demanding that he make “the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.”
Rehoboam, like our little boy’s daddy, had two options in giving his answer: a gentle, empowering, positive spirit (“If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them . . . speak good words to them”) or a harsh, demanding, negative spirit (“I will chastise you with scorpions”).
He chose the wrong one and lost most of Israel.
Which Spirit?
Sadly, too often, like dear Peter in trying to defend our Lord’s honor, the Word of God is wielded as a sword rather than being applied as balm—cutting off ears rather than comforting and encouraging hearts.
The Word of God is indeed a sword (Eph. 6:1717And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17)), which is to be used in our spiritual battle. But that battle is against “spiritual wickedness in high places,” not against spouses, children, brethren or the unsaved living around us. Further, we are not to take the “sword of the Spirit” in hand before our feet (our walk) have first been “shod with the . . . gospel of peace.”
Remember, in all relationships of life, swords make pieces; peacemakers make unity and joy.
Ed.