Day 5, The Love Dare: Love Is Not Rude

Love Is Not Rude

 “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be reckoned a curse to him.” –Proverbs 27:14

Today’s Dare: Love is not rude : Ask someone to tell you 3 things you do that make them irritated with you. Don’t try to defend yourself, just listen to their perspective and work on those three things.

Nothing irritates others as quickly as being rude. Rudeness is unnecessarily saying or doing things that are unpleasant for another person to be around. To be rude is to act unbecoming, embarrassing, or irritating.

No one enjoys being around a rude person.”  But sarcasm is included in the description of rudeness, and so I instantly know this is a hard one because I tend to be sarcastic a lot, especially in school. It’s not about how the person doling out the sarcastic quips feels, it’s about how the person is making those on the receiving end feel (again, “love is not selfish“).  The authors say that bottling up one’s sarcastic nature (or any other irritating habits such as a foul mouth and poor table manners) sends a message to your loved ones that you value you them enough to practice self-control around them and that you “want to be a person who’s a pleasure to be around.”  

People should not feel stupid, or less-than, or insignificant after they’ve had a run-in with you.  Not if love is leading your actions. And strangers shouldn’t be on the receiving end of your good behavior while your loved ones get the relaxed, unrefined you.  Treat others as you want to be treated, and give your loved ones your absolute best.

The bottom line is that genuine love minds its manners.

Embracing this one concept could add some fresh air to our relationship with others. I want to be a person who’s a pleasure to be with.” When you allow love to change your behavior—even in the smallest of ways—you restore an atmosphere of honor to your relationship. People who practice good etiquette tend to raise the respect level of the environment around them. I want to be that person.

For the most part, the etiquette I use at home is much different than the kind I employ with friends, or even with total strangers. I may be barking or pouting around the house, but if the front door chimes, I open it all smiling and kind. Yet if I really dare to love, I’ll also want to give my best to everyone. relationship will suffer for it.

There are two main reasons why people are rude: ignorance and selfishness. Neither, of course, is a good thing. A child is born ignorant of etiquette, needing lots of help and training. Adults, however, display their ignorance at another level. You know the rules, but you can be blind to how you break them or be too self-centered to care. In fact, you may not realize how unpleasant you can be to live with.

I fully believe God places people in your life sometimes so that you may minister to them, and somewhere along the way, you are ministered to, that can only be achieved when you get rid of rudeness. 

 I have come to realize that I need more response from family and friends on how I act. I know I haven't been the best friend or family member, but I'm trying to fix everything with everyone.

     I am only human and make mistakes, I am not perfect. I never want to be perfect in anyone's eyes other than the one I'm married too someday. My imperfections to everyone else will be what makes me perfect in one person's eyes someday. All I can do is pray that you will all be honest with me and help me grow into a better person.