HOW ARE YOU TREATING PEOPLE?

Do we realise that the way we treat people and the way we handle relationships around us has a huge impact on our walk with God and our answer to prayer?

We know a lot of verses in this area but do we really understand how real the impact is?  The Lord has been highlighting to me the need to be right in this area.

Do we judge? Do we cause offence? Are we angry? Are we just not nice to those people around us?

Each one of these areas is affecting how your prayers are being answered.

One example He has been highlighting to me is the treatment of our wives (where we have one).  I use this area as an example even though you may not fit this category.  It is an example of how God’s principles work.

We know the verses in this area:

1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

I read this verse this week and it really hit me what the last words of this verse are saying. Husbands the way we treat our wives has the ability to hinder our prayers. This is how important this relationship is to the Lord.

I remember a word the lord gave us a few years ago which was very powerful in this area. The Lord said to us if you look at a man who has struggled through his life to hold onto wealth or assets then it is very probable that there are issues in the way that man is treating his wife.  He may have treated his wife bad all their life or he has porn issues or he is in an affair.  In effect, this man is being hindered financially because of these issues in his relationship with his wife. If he can’t handle this essential relationship then how can he be trusted elsewhere. This word forced me to look at this area of my life and consider and I looking after my wife right in all areas.

It strikes me that if this occurs in the way we handle our wife then how else are we being hindered because of other relationships we have not being handling right.

Malachi 2:13-15 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.
But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

Wow again a very clear message where we don’t handle our marital relationship well.  He does not regard your offering anymore because of the way you treat the wife of your youth.

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

After reading these verses and reflecting on them it became clear to me that the Lord has blessed me with a wife and He is observing how I handle that relationship.  It is my responsibility on how I behave in this relationship and the way I treat her. I do what I do on my side of the relationship and I don’t use the other side of the relationship as an excuse for wrong behaviour or actions.  I have God inside me and this should reflect in every relationship behaviour I have.

Whether my relationship is with my husband, wife, friend, boss, employee, father, mother, sister, brother we have a responsibility to act right and we will be blessed or hindered by the way we act and behave in these relationships.

I remember another story where this principle applied.  I was with a friend and we observed a man who was walking in wonderful financial blessings.  This man was not a Christian but he seemed to walk in blessings wherever he went.  When taking this to the Lord we got the words that this man followed Godly principles and treated people well therefore he was being blessed by God because of this.  I could be the Christian in a relationship with this man who is a non Christian but he received Godly blessings in a transaction and I didn’t.  Why?  Because God blesses examples of how He would walk in relationships and how He would handle it.  Being a Christian doesn’t automatically give you the blessings or the upper hand in a relationship and especially so where you are not reflecting the Lord and His principles or character.

What relationships are you struggling in today? Work, family or friends as an example. How are you behaving? Are you letting all the circumstances dictate the way you behave or are you reflecting who is inside you?  God forgives us again and again and we are blessed. God wipes the slate clean.  What if today if we took this same Godly principle to all those problem relationships and we forgave, we let go the offence, we wiped the slate clean and we started fresh? If we reflect God in the way we acted and behaved in this relationship how would that change things and the interactions we have?  By the way that doesn’t mean we act all Godly and righteous (superior) but we go with a genuine heart of Gods love and start fresh.

I had an example last week where I was driving down to our local coffee shop and this lady just pulled out from a side street right in front of me without looking.  My immediate reaction was that I hit the horn in my car in shock because it could have been a messy situation. The next thing is she pulled into the coffee carpark right in front of me.  I then found myself standing right behind her in the coffee queue.  Awkward. Before I could react to her she turned around to me and just apologized and explained she never does that sort of driving.  Twice more this week she has been in the same coffee queue and we have chatted.

If I had reacted differently to this how the circumstances could have been quite different.  I sense God has this lady now talking to me because there is some pain in her life that He would have me address.  There are some interesting queue talks coming up.  God wants us to treat every relationship fresh and the way we react will dictate how his principles can be applied.

Godly judgement in relationships

2 Chronicles 19:6 and said to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.

How you judge will impact how you are judged. How your prayers are answered!

Don’t give or receive offense in relationship

Acts 24:16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

We maybe able to handle not giving offense but how do we receive an offense?

Come with a heart of love to a relationship

Matthew 19:19 ‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ ”

Let’s come to every relationship with Gods heart of love.  Something I haven’t done in the past but I am starting to see the fruit of this when I live this Godly principle.

We deal with people all the time and it very difficult not to have people in your life.  How we handle relationships has a huge impact in the Spirit and the way breakthrough and blessings can occur.

Let’s look to be a person that people want to be in relationship with.

I get these words as I finish.

“The importance of this area is immense and my children don’t understand this well.  I have unlimited resources and unlimited love for my people. Nothing holds back my love but my resources are reserved for those who walk in my principles. Practice what I preach and see the impact this will have on your prayer life and the way things occur in your life.  Love everyone the same way I love you and I will bless this immensely. Practise it, live it and let Me shine through you and I will bless you in all aspects of your life.”