Interesting how we live our lives based on responses we expect or what we think will be the responses of other people will be. We get a little caught up in not saying or doing something “just in case”. In the process, we do or don’t do or say things and the situation goes downhill. James kind of talks about this in chapter 2, when he encourages us to act as though we will be judged by the law of liberty (act within your freedom). Just before that little tidbit, James challenges us to treat others like we want to be treated (“Love your neighbor as yourself”). This was all about how we treat other people. Kinda makes me keep asking myself how much I love myself. Sure makes me want to treat people differently when I think about it as thought I were treating myself that way.
Try it yourself…look at how you want to be treated, and then imagine that you were treating someone else that way…or are you?