Sisterly Kindness

1 Corinthians 13

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. 

(via www.biblegateway.com) 

I was at the grocery store this afternoon and ran into a local pastor's wife. We exchanged greetings but it was clear that there was no time to engage in conversation with me. So I kept walking, swinging by package of toilet paper and pushing my cart while thinking, "why do we as women, treat each other so poorly?"

When and how was it that mother's instilled in their daughters that they are to be kind to some but not all? We, as women, seem to do a pretty good job at being judgmental. If we feel as though another woman has too much makeup on, is not a good homemaker, does not dress to our taste, uses incorrect English, works outside of the home, has different views on dating/courtship, and marriage than us, has a career that we do not approve of, does not eat everything organic and natural or eats everything organic and natural, does not hold to the belief of women in church leadership, holds to the view of women in church leadership, raises their children differently, we judge. We feel threatened. And lets face it, sometimes, we're jealous. Why????

Is it the fact that we do not value our own selves so therefore we are not going to value others? Is it the fact that we want to be the center of attention so when others are receiving that attention, we feel threatened? Is it the fact that we do not like our life, so we negatively compare it with the lives of others? Is it the fact that we do not like what we see in the mirror?

I, as a woman, can be the best at whatever I put my hands to. But if I have not love, I'm merely making racket. I can be the best at saving money, the best girlfriend, the best RD, the best cook, the best student, the best member of the church; but if I do not have love what does all this profit? NOTHING. I hope to one day live in a world, where regardless of personalities, we as women, can stand up and be a support, stand up and be kind, stand up and be loving, stand up and be Christ to the sister's around us. When Christ was on earth, he made it his business to love "the other." The "other" meaning those you would think that he would have no time for. Sisters, it is time to stand up. As my wise mother once said, at the end of the day, we all put our pants on the same way so there's no reason to be snooty. ;)