Be Nice

"Be nice to people."

"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

I had a random thought when I woke up yesterday. We are always told to "Be nice to people." As Christians, it seems an especially important lesson. But, I wonder, how nice is too nice? Where do we draw the line? Is there a line?

And then I thought "Of course there's a line." We can be nice up to a point, but at some point, I think being nice, or trying to smooth over a situation would be working against God's glory. For example, sometimes it might be necessary to rebuke someone. I know. Someone is getting geared up to scream at me. But, think about it. In the Bible, there are many instances of rebuke from God's servants, and from Jesus himself.

I think the issue lies in knowing when to be nice and when to rebuke, or if we should rebuke, and how to rebuke. Sometimes, we get ahead of ourselves, and our inner voice is screaming "Shut up!" and we still go ahead. So, it's important to listen to God and know if you are supposed to say something, or not. It's also important to know what kind of message to send, not just how to send it.

Anyway, that's what I think. I guess my point is that at some point not saying something might seem like an acceptance of something that goes against God's word, and I think at some point it's okay to stop being "nice" and start speaking up against some of these things. We are not here to please people, or the world. We are here for God's glory. But I haven't completely figured this one out yet...
_______________________________________________________

Ephesians 4:29-32 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

So, after reading these verses, I think I have a new conclusion. We should always be nice. We should always speak the truth, even if it isn't what someone wants to hear, but we should speak it compassionately, and not in anger or with hatred. We should always choose our words carefully so that what we say will glorify God. But we don't have to condone or subscribe to the things of this world. The thing we have to be conscious of is when and if to speak up. For this, we need wisdom that comes from God, and the Holy Spirit which is in us. Listen to our inner voice, and if it's telling us to shut up, it may not be the right time to speak up about something. It is important to ponder on a situation, and pray about it before saying anything. God will give us the right words to use, if we are meant to say something.

And even if we aren't meant to rebuke someone, at some point I think it would be okay to cut ties with someone. It's important to pray about the situation and really listen, but we don't have to be friends with everyone. Sometimes it's in our best interest (and maybe theirs too) if we step away from the situation.