High Standards

Years ago I established a standard for my life that simply states: Never lower yourself to the standard of behavior that you find unacceptable in others.

It rules out a Tit-for-Tat mentality. Quite frankly though, some get more difficult when you do not act as badly as they. This may ramp up their bad behavior for a bit in frustration, but it helps me to maintain the standard I’ve set for myself.

Let me state emphatically, this is a difficult credo to live by. It was only after I rededicated my life to Jesus that I could establish and maintain this at all. In my life BC (before Christ), I was quite skilled with my quick draw tongue; leaving a trail of wounded, bleeding adversaries in my wake.

Proverbs 24:29 says: Don’t say, “I’ll do to him what he did to me, I’ll pay him back what his deeds deserve.”

Proverbs 20:22 says: Don’t say, “I’ll pay back evil for evil”; wait for Adonai to save you.

These are but two of many examples of scripture that back up my credo. When someone is curt or rude or ugly, we, as Christians are not to respond in the same manner. Acting badly because someone else has does not justify repeating the act. I am responsible for how I behave; I have no control over their behavior.

Proverbs 20:3 Avoiding quarrels brings a person honor; for any fool can explode in anger.

Proverbs 17:14 Starting a fight is like letting water through [a dike] – better stop the quarrel before it gets worse.

Let’s face it, when we react to bad behavior with more of the same, we are giving that person control over us. I want no one, save Christ, to have control of my life. I want my life to reflect a godly standard that shines through the black clouds of stormy interaction. I want my thoughts and decisions to be automatically filtered through the standard of ‘What would Jesus do?’ We are to grow more like Him as we walk out our faith. Do you pictures Jesus red-faced in a screaming match? Would He shoot an angry look if someone said something He didn’t like? Would He rely on sarcasm to make His position more ‘effectively pointed’? No.

Tongue and temper can be tamed…I am a living example. I’m not saying this to tell you how awesome I am, but to show you how He changed me because He loved me; I worked to make changes that pleased Him because I love Him back! The more you ‘know’ Christ the more you want to please and emulate Him.

Proverbs 17:27 makes my point: A knowledgeable person controls his tongue; a discerning person controls his temper.

Think about it; with Jesus our standard, we are required to look up. Never lower your standard to that which you find unacceptable in others.