I thought I was past the slime-rolling stage.

I'm not gonna lie, I am struggling with this month's verse. Loving my neighbor as myself. Can I just say that I am seeing the 'uglies' pop up everywhere...and I'm not talking about decorating...I am talking about the things inside my heart! No, I am not happy about it, but I am thankful for it, only because it's exposing what has infected my choices, and my affections. Ugh. So, today I am still considering the word consider. :) I am sorta stuck there, so guess what...you are too! And so back to Hebrews 10:24 "and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works". I've been pondering that one all weekend, how to really put feet on this, make it a reality in my life. The words regard, respect and honor all have a role to play in considering one another.

Regard:

to look upon or think of with a particular feeling: to regard a person with favor, to have or show respect or concern for, to think highly of; esteem, to take into account, consider, to look at, observe.

Respect:
esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.

Honor:
high respect as for worth, merit, honor...such respect then manifested.

It occurs to me that I have a choice here. I get to choose my attitude. Whether I am respectful, disrespectful, esteem or look down on others; treat others with worth and value, and then manifest those things by treating them with honor. Oh, it's easy when you love what they do and how they treat you. It's a piece of cake when the boat aint rockin' and life is sailing along smoothly. But let's add a little stress. Sickness. Financial worries. Unhealthy relational patterns. Strife. Self-centeredness. Addiction. Wayward children. Well, you get the drift. We each have our breaking point, when pretty doesn't look so pretty anymore. The trigger comes and boom, there I am rolling around in the slime again. I mean really? I thought I was past the slime-rolling stage. 

So here it is, the bottom line, because you know how I love getting down to it! It doesn't matter whether I like you or don't like you; whether your behavior toward me is stellar or not, what matters is the regard I have for you. Do I regard you as worthy of esteem, honor, respect, consideration? Or do I regard myself as worthy of those things and perhaps you are just the means of me getting what I want. (ouch!) Police officers, pastors, bosses, parents, teachers, the President, elected officials...all have something in common, they are respected for their position. Whether I like or agree with their role in my life, doesn't matter, I must respect their position and in some cases, if I don't there could be adverse personal consequences. It seems to me, that I get so comfortable in some of my relationships that I lose the sense of respect that should be the very basis for those relationships. I guess in simpler terms, I take for granted things that I really need to be very grateful for! And I need to manifest that gratefulness!!! Manifested it becomes honor! Think how that could change relationships. How many times do I think about doing a good deed, and then don't? Or about saying something positive but I keep it to myself? Or maybe I am just so busy worrying about me, that I don't even see the opportunities around me to bestow honor, respect and consideration. Does this demand humility? Does this require that I pay attention? Does this mean I can't be lazy? Does this mean it isn't always all about me? Yes.Yes.Yes and yes!

I am grateful for the grace of God today, because I really need it!