Jesus’s Words:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12
This rule is straightforward: Treat others the way you want to be treated. There is a sad story of a church that went through a resizing, to put it mildly, and people were observed showing their true colors rather than restraining their emotions. Whether the person they were communicating with was good or bad, their behavior should have shown Jesus' refining power, not Satan's hold, primarily when the person being spoken to was someone loved and respected by the observers. To show disdain for anyone that we know God has loved is more hurtful to the one spewing hatred. We don't always know what causes issues in church or even in our personal lives. Still, in a lot of cases, all it takes is the weakness of one person, a slight opening, for the enemy to work his way in and cause a disruption, so rather than feel hatred for that person, we need to feel sorry for them that they've opened themselves up for use by Satan. Give them the grace that you hope to receive if you are ever on the other side of such behavior. Life is hard enough when dealing with the unsaved; even so, treat others the way you expect to be treated. However, when it's your brother or sister in Christ, go beyond that and treat them like Jesus is standing there watching, because he is.
