They’re People Too

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:29-32; 5:1-2

“It’s not fair!” Lydia said as she followed her mother into the supermarket. She’d been complaining about a teacher almost nonstop since Mom picked her up after school. “When Mr. Benson said we could have free time to study and I opened my history book, my pencil fell off my desk. I couldn’t reach it from where I was sitting, so I stood up to get it, and he yelled at me! He didn’t ask why I was standing up or anything, just scolded me in front of the whole cla—” Lydia stopped abruptly when she spotted Mr. Benson in the produce section.

The teacher greeted Lydia and her mother and then looked awkwardly at his cart. “I’m not used to planning meals and doing the grocery shopping,” he said, “but my wife had surgery and is still in the hospital.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Mom replied. “How is she doing?”

“Much better, but…” Mr. Benson shrugged. “Actually, the biggest challenge is getting two of my kids to day care and the third to kindergarten each morning. Teaching, parenting, and trying to spend as much time as possible with my wife keeps me busy!”

After talking a few more minutes, Mr. Benson turned back to his cart and moved on.

“Mr. Benson looked very tired and worn out,” Mom said as she and Lydia picked out some vegetables. “Maybe that’s why he overreacted and treated you unfairly today.”

“Yeah. I never thought about a teacher having problems before,” said Lydia. “I guess I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at him.”

Mom smiled. “I’ve had the same kind of experience. There have been times when I felt someone acted unfairly toward me. I got upset about it, only to discover later that the person I was angry with was reacting to a serious personal problem. We need to remember that Jesus wants us to be patient with other people. He always shows us grace and understanding when we don’t react well to stress in our lives, and we should do the same for others. We should be kind and help them through their difficulties instead of becoming angry with them.”

“I’m not mad at Mr. Benson anymore,” Lydia said. “I’ll try to remember that teachers are people too.”

-Linda Weddle

How About You?

Have you ever been treated unfairly? It’s easy to get angry when that happens, isn’t it? But perhaps someone treated you badly because they have a serious problem you don’t know about. That doesn’t excuse their behavior, but it may help explain why they acted that way. Jesus is always patient with us when we face difficulties, and He tells us to have patience with others and be forgiving. Instead of getting angry, show them His grace.

Today’s Key Verse:
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Be understanding