Practicing

OK, so my 2nd verse for the rest of this month is from 1 Peter. It says:

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life
and see the day fill up with good,
Here's what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you're worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
listening and responding well to what he's asked;
But he turns his back
on those who do evil things.

This version is from The Message, and there are parts of it that really spoke to me ... which is why I chose that version. Let's start at the beginning ...

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions.

What a challenging list of things to be ... and a clarification about who is to be like this ... All of us ... NO EXCEPTIONS ... The writer is making it clear that God's stand on this is clear and firm ... there are no exceptions ... we are all being measured by this list of behaviors. As a teacher, who is in the process of filling out report cards, I found myself imagining God doing the same on me as I was filling out the "behavior" section of the reports. I am sure you have all seen the section that I am talking about ... within it is a list of behaviors that are expected in school from all .. NO exceptions ... followed by E S or N. (Excellent, Satisfactory, and Needs to Improve) I could just imagine God, report cards in hand, going through this list of acceptable and expected behaviors for life for me ...

"No retaliation." Well, I am afraid that I'll need to mark this N. She sometimes fails to bring the wrong doings to my feet and let me handle them, trying to handle them herself instead ..."

"No sharp-tongued sarcasm." Circle "N" again. Boy, that girl has a tongue on her. She has gotten better at holding it, but it is the thought that counts and I hear them all.

"Blessing instead..." Circle "N" again.

"Saying nothing evil or hurtful..." "N"

"Snubbing evil and cultivate good;" "N"

"Running after peace for all she is worth." "N"

Oh Lord, how I need to improve! Father, search me and guide me in improving my outward (and inward) behavior as a Christian that I might really be a light. Search me and know me ... help me to know myself and the areas that I can grow in that I might represent you more fully in every thing I do and say.

Lisa

PS:

I have more thoughts about the verse and some the implications that jump out at me ... but it is late and I am tired. I will post a part 2 when I have studied this a bit more, and have finished my report cards ... :)