12-03-2021, 10:12 PM
No, "niceness" is a big lie. You don't have to be nice at all. You do have to be kind and considerate when it's possible. In this context, love is divine justice; it's restoring the Covenant. It's walking by your convictions, because whatever God demands of you is always in everyone else's best interest. It may not be what they imagine they want, but it's whatever God wants from you. The biggest temptation is retaliation in kind; the second biggest is to attempt placating them. Find your own style, but let them know your response is steered by your convictions, not theirs.