Being nice & loving

People may be unreasonable, or illogical and self-centered, but we are to love them anyway because love never settles only for what’s reasonable and logical. It insists on being merciful and gracious. It encourages us to make the first step in showing loving kindness to others; after all, it is not so concerned with the eye-for-an-eye and tooth-for-a-tooth kind of fair loving. Sounds like what nice people would usually do, doesn’t it?

However, there is a difference between being nice and being loving. Modern communication tells us that it is all about being ‘nice’. Though it values truth, it only goes as far as it allows us to feel good about ourselves. We are highly encouraged to never use words that would cause other people to feel offended. Thus, truth becomes our enemy at any point it threatens to hurt someone's feelings.

Any one who is honest enough will find that too many a times, we tend to sacrifice truths to keep a ‘nice’ and ‘friendly’ image towards others. I know I have. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, I have purchased friendships and loyalty before by blinking at lies and deceit. I have done nice things simply for the sake of winning the approval from those I excuse. Nonetheless, in actual fact, being ‘nice’ at the expense of being truthful is just a selfish act of love.

I believe that any one who is willing to risk all costs for the sake of truth and to suffer for the sake of others is a genuine friend. Hence, I pray that God will continually teach me how to be nice to people, but not at the expense of being truthful. At the same time, I pray that I will be humble enough to let others convey truth to me so that I can change for the better.