We often use certain words and phrases in our relationship with the Lord: "Thank you"; "I'm sorry"; "Please, if it is your will." Our words flow from the nature of the One to whom we are speaking. If he were not the wonderful God that he is, our vocabulary would be different.

I remember the Soviet dictator Nikita Khrushchev standing to speak at the United Nations, taking off his shoe, pounding it on the podium, and shouting at his enemies, "We will bury you!" On another occasion Fidel Castro, visiting from Cuba, killed a chicken in his New York hotel room and spread the feathers and blood all around the room before going to the U.N. Their ideology said there is no God, and any hate-filled, belligerent words and actions were OK.

Christians use godly, not hate-filled, words when talking to fellow humans. Why should we say "Thanks!" to someone who did something nice for us, rather than just take it for granted? Why should we say "I'm sorry" when we do something wrong or hurt someone, or "Sorry to trouble you" when someone has to go out of their way to help us? Why should we praise someone for the good qualities they have, rather than being envious? Because God is love, and he sets the pattern for our relationships.