love

I saw a post that said, “The greatest indication of your relationship with God is how we treat others.”

This is very true. How well we treat others is a good indication of how well we understand and follow the teachings of Jesus. This is especially true when you have someone who puts this to the test – not just how you treat fellow Christians.

Maybe its someone in the past who hurt you. Possibly even lied to you, cheated on you, disrespected you, etc. How would you treat that person when you see them? With disdain, anger, avoidance? All of those would be normal responses, and given what they did to you, probably understandable.

But we as Christians are called directly by Jesus to rise above that. People in your life who have hurt you or damaged you have a tendency to pull you down to their level and this is what it means to rise above that, because we all have a tendency to treat people in a similar manner as they have treated us. The problem is the whole world treats them in a similar manner, and that is the world they see in the mirror every morning.

Having compassion for someone who say, has an addiction, or treating a broken person with kindness, doesn’t have to mean violating your boundaries, or getting used by them. Proverbs 4:23 is about as direct as it gets, “”Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”

Your heart is your ultimate boundary, and it is shared with God and ONLY accessible to another who meets you in that space where you share your heart with Him.

“Hurt people hurt people” is a saying that has always stuck with me and is a truth of life. When you treat someone with kindness and compassion who has been treated their whole life as a untrustworthy, an addict, or a liar – they see it. They may not have the self-awareness to say something, but they see it.

If you are truly doing this from a place of love and compassion, then what they see will be the true teaching of Jesus. That is a powerful lesson in life. It may not be enough to change them, as they say, “only God can change the hearts and mind of men.”

but it is a lesson the world needs right now.

This is the first of a few short posts on some of the more important Hebrew words found in the Bible, i.e. The Old Testament, which was written in ancient Hebrew & Aramaic. Many of these words have lost much of their meaning and context when translated into their modern English form. I think its interesting to study these words in their original language and what the Biblical authors like Moses meant to convey when they took down the Word of God for us.

Hesed (חסד, pronounced “kheh-sed”)

Hesed means love. That is its literal translation. However, love of course can have many different meanings. In context, its not a feeling, it is an action. Its not romantic love but a love of faithfulness, loyalty, etc. In Hebrew culture it was much more important to take action as a means of faithfulness than to believe. So, Hesed is love in action.

For example, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing hesed for you will not be shaken”. (Isaiah 54:10)

It is a faithful, reliable love. When a wife prays for years for her husband to know God. It is parents lovingly caring for their autistic child. Hesed is in a sense, faithfulness that endures.

Hesed is also one of the most fundamental characteristics of God, consistent with what we know about His covenantal nature. Hesed is:

“Wrapping up in itself all the positive attributes of God: love, covenant faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness, loyalty – in short, acts of devotion and loving-kindness that go beyond the requirements of duty,” – Darrell L. Bock

And most importantly, hesed is the unfailing love God has for YOU.

Armor UP Training

How We Treat Others

7 Hebrew Words: Hesed