Remember The Feeling

Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Evie’s hands shook as she clicked her mom’s name on her cell phone. As soon as her mom picked up, the words burst out. “Mom, Kaylee wasn’t nice today,” Evie said, beginning to cry.

Her mom listened as Evie told her how Kaylee had invited a friend over after school and made sure Evie knew she wasn’t invited.

“And then she ignored me at lunch and on the bus,” Evie continued. “It really hurt my feelings.”

Her mom told her how sorry she was. “Friends shouldn’t treat each other that way,” she said. “And I know from personal experience how much it stinks to be left out.” But she ended by telling Evie something that surprised her. “Remember this feeling,” her mom said. “Remember how you feel right now and how you wouldn’t want anyone else to ever feel like this. So even though I know how inclusive and loving your heart is, remember this and do everything you can to make sure your actions don’t cause anyone else to feel this way.”

When the Bible reminds us to treat others the way we would like to be treated, it’s easy to list the positive ways we’d like to interact with our friends—with kindness, love, and respect. But it’s equally important to consider the unkind behaviors we’ve experienced in our friendships, because knowing how we don’t want to be treated helps us choose our words and actions more wisely to avoid causing harm. In friendship, remembering negative moments can give us empathy for others who may find themselves in a similar situation. When Evie’s mom asked her to remember the hurt, it wasn’t just a reminder for Evie to think about her bruised heart but to seek to treat others with grace and kindness because of what she experienced.

Things to Think About

• What experiences with friends do you think it’s important for you to remember?
• How can positive and negative experiences in friendship help us respond better in the future?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Write down three things you’ve learned—good or bad—through friendships.