1 Peter 3:8-11: “Finally, all of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other and loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and He will bless you for it.
The Scriptures say, If you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and you’ll do well. Work hard at living with peace with others. “
The Christian community is to be like a healthy and happy family where people share their hurts and find sympathy; they humbly express their needs and receive loving care; they forgive one another rather than plot revenge; they pray for each other; they are careful not to say things that will unnecessarily hurt others; they can be honest about who they are; they seek to do good for one another and they endeavour to live in peace by resolving conflicts with each other. The community described above here, is ideal to help us grow spiritually.
We women especially need to guard our tongues as set out in verse 10. Keep it from speaking evil i.e. when we’re in all-women company and someone is nasty about a person (who is normally absent from that group) then it’s up to us, as Christians to tell the gossiper in a kind manner that we should rather speak a blessing over that person or not speak of her at all.
Another sin we need to guard against is lying. So often, because we are women/ mothers/ wives/ friends, (rushing around seeing to the needs of others) we feel we are exonerated from this rule. Not so. When the phone rings and your ten-year-old answers it for you, don’t tell her to tell the caller that you are not home. You are sending out the wrong message to your child; that lying is not bad, it can be done when suited, or that it’s not a sin. If your husband phones and asks if you’d done that chore he’d asked you to, and you haven’t yet, don’t say yes. Tell him you’re about to do it and then go and do it. (Phew!)
Small things make a healthy, happy community; integrity, kindness, loyalty, humility are just a few. Let us women practice them and we’ll see how happiness, peace and love flows into our homes and families. Amen!
Good Christian principles. Pity the terrorists who almost bombed our biggest army base yesterday weren't brought up like this.
ReplyDeleteJo: A wonderful photo to go with your scripture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, diane. I'm horrified to hear about the terrorist near-attack. I've only heard about it through you. How were the terrs thwarted? Thanks for popping in. (((Hugs))) Jo
ReplyDeleteHi Tom;) thanks for your kind comment. I've just realised that the photo was taken by my dil and I forgot to credit her. (With my camera, so perhaps I'm forgiven...)