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Last week I was in a checkout line at a grocery store. I had already paid and was bagging up my items. The cashier then asked the next customer “do you need any bags.” The customer responded, “You know how many bags I need!” The cashier said, “There’s no need to be rude sir. I am just asking a question.” The customer responded with something like “I’m not being rude. You should be able to tell how many bags I need by looking at my groceries.” At this point, the cashier was nearly in tears. She called in a replacement. The new cashier informed the customer that if he continued with the rudeness, they would call security have him removed from the store. He started to argue with her that he was NOT being rude.

By this point, I had bagged all my groceries. So if I stayed any longer, it would look like I just wanted to watch this thing unfold (which the depraved side of me did! I wanted to see how security would take this person down!). But I decided to move on and let them deal with it. Yet as I went outside, I marveled that a little dispute over a number of grocery bags could escalate into threats and serious arguments. The uncertainty and disruption in our every day lives can fray nerves and heighten emotions. We need an extra measure of God’s grace to bear with others.

A great verse speaks to this. Philippians 4:5 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.” “Reasonableness” or “Gentleness” is “an attitude of one who is charitable towards other’s faults and merciful in his/her judgment of their failings because he/she takes their whole situation into his reckoning.” This verse speaks not only of relationship within the Christian community but to everyone. God calls Christians to be reasonable; fair-minded; gentle to everyone.

Why? The Lord is near. That could mean that the Lord is near wherever we go and with whomever we interact. Or it could mean the Lord’s return is near. In either case, reasonableness helps others and glorifies the Lord.

“Lord God, a lot of people are going through a lot of stuff these days. I don’t know what’s behind their scowl or worried face or impatience. But help me to be reasonable like you call me to. You have been infinitely charitable with my faults and failings because you take my whole situation into your reckoning. Help me offer the same to others. Amen.”