“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32

Dr. Stephen Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) uses the metaphor of an Emotional Bank Account to describe “the amount of trust that’s been built up in a relationship. This account begins on a neutral balance. And just as with any bank account, if we make continual deposits the balance will increase, however the more we withdrawal the harder it is to save!

We can relate this metaphor to how we treat others. What mental messages do we send in what we do and say-as children of God? Our words and actions should edify and uplift others. Children are a prime example of what we deposit into a person’s emotional bank accounts. If a child lives with love, compassion, and encouragement he/she learns to feel confident, safe, and honest; likewise, the child that lives with ridicule, cruelty, and hate…learns distrust, fear, and insecurity.

As born-again believers we have been saved by the grace of Almighty God and given the commandment to love one another. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-39

No one promised that the road that we traveled would be easy! It is not in our nature to overlook faults that hurt or discourage us…but this journey of life is not solely about us. Everything that we do should point to our Savior and His forgiving grace. The speech and actions that come from our hearts should show the love of Christ that richly dwells within us. Ephesians 4:32 state “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

So often we believe that pointing out a fault or wrongdoing in someone’s life will correct the error. When in truth, we should be looking at what we do to edify and encourage others…do others see the light of Christ in the way we walk with others- so instead of calling someone out; let us walk the talk in their presence. The Holy Spirit is more than able to convict and correct every one of us! “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

Kindness comes from a heart of love and seeks to uplift, to be tenderhearted is having a compassionate spirit and the power to forgive comes from the forgiveness of Christ that we so freely receive. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12.

We can make a difference in the lives of others by making and earnest effort to place deposits and not withdrawals in the emotional bank account of all that we encounter… why not start with the one closest to you at this very moment. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 admonishes us “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”