Tell the next person who whines to you that if they would like to dump their garbage in your living room that would be ok, but they may not dump their garbage in your mind.

Well, if you've ever had children and one of them threw a tantrum or behaved poorly in public then you know how embarrassing that can be.

Yes, the behavior of children is reflective upon their parents.

So if we say that we are children of God, then we "represent" the family of God and our behavior is reflective upon Him.

Now no one is more qualified to discuss this matter of behavior than Mr. Animation himself, the apostle Peter.

And he has been telling us why and how we should conduct ourselves as good citizens, as good employees, as loving husbands and wives, etc.

He has told us that our futures as God's elect are magnificent and until we receive our unfathomable inheritance, while we are here sojourning in flesh tabernacles, we need to be kind, generous, and forgiving and learn to put away petty differences and stop getting excited over stupid petty things.

Do you love life?

Or as the great Mahja Rushie would say, "Are you having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have?"

 You can you know!

Especially as a Christian with the unfair advantage of knowing what is going on in the world.

Do you want to see good days?

It is a choice, says Peter.

Then knock off the cynicism, the criticism, the bickering and the guile, all of which are negative spirits.

Tell the next person who whines to you that if they would like to dump their garbage in your living room that would be ok, but they may not dump their garbage in your mind.

In fact, make up a sign that reads "WHINING - $5.00 Charge" and hang it up.

Peter says seek peace and seek serenity and "ensue it", which means "go for it".

So go have a good day!

The Lord watches over us and His ears are open to our prayers.

All we have to do is try and be willing.

Of course none of us is perfect and we will occasionally "lose it" and even get "down in the dumps" a little.

And we know from the Book of Ecclesiastes that we will have some bad days and some good days.

But they don't have to come from our own making by harboring such evil things as envy and jealousy and contention and strife!

"Eschew!" God Bless You.

Stand against all those things and follow that which is good.

After all, the Gospel Armour is designed to withstand fiery darts traveling at the speed of fake light.

Who cares what others think or say?

And don't be intimidated by their ranting and raving.

And don't "buy into it"!

"Eschew!" God Bless You!

The word "sanctify" means to separate or set aside, as in making place or room for Jesus Christ in your heart, which means in your mind.

The more you pray and study His Word, the more room you give Him so that when persecution or false accusation, i.e. the opportunity to do the right thing, presents itself to the nuclear reactor of your mind, there He may appear also to prevent a meltdown of your character and conduct as a Christian.

Because when there's a meltdown, there's a long and arduous clean-up process to follow.

And you must also sanctify the Lord God in your mind if you are to do as Peter instructs in the second half of this verse and "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear".

You see, your accusers will ultimately be ashamed of their unfounded and undeserved condemnation of your Christian conduct.

When will that be?

When they suddenly realize what a great person "you" really are?

No!

When they finally hit bottom and realize what great sinners "they" really are.

And your conduct just might have been the good "work" that helped them see "hope", i.e. that there is better way of life.

And the connection will be from your conduct to Jesus Christ.

And as Peter says in verse 15, if and when they come to you and ask you "a reason of the hope that is in you", be ready and skilful enough in the Word to give them an answer.

And the answer is Him, the Living and the Written Word of God.

As Christians we must be able to lead them to Him.

It's part of the job description as one of God's elect, one of the chosen generation, one of the royal priesthood, which you are, remember (1 Pet. 2:9)?

So do as Paul says in 2 Tim. 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Go for it!

but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."

Why?

That He might bring us to God.

And He has!

So you do know who you are!

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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