respect and dignity

As much as Paul can be deep and hard to understand, sometimes he’s so simple there’s no mistaking him. Often it’s when he’s reminding us of things we learned as children. It seems we have to learn life’s most basic lessons over and over.

Look at this, from 1 Timothy 5:1-2: “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”

It shouldn’t be as complicated as we make it. We look for all kinds of nuance as we try to decide how to react to people, and find all kinds of excuses after the fact. He ticked me off. She’s an idiot. He shouldn’t be on the road if he doesn’t know how to drive. She should make better life choices.

Here’s the thing: none of that matters to Paul, or to God. You see, our behavior should have very little to do with the other person and everything to do with us. We behave in certain ways because that’s how we reflect the fact that we were created in God’s image and redeemed by Jesus’ sacrifice. That enables us to take the high road, to be the bigger person, to stay true to ourselves in spite of how others treat us.

And the standard is very simple: treat everyone like you want others to treat your family. Old men are our dads and grandpas, young men are our brothers. Women of all ages become moms and sisters. And we treat them with respect, give them grace, and protect their dignity. 

Because here’s the thing: in Christ, we are all family.