Behave Like a Christian
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient[c] in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given[d] to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have[e] regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
While I try to live by these words, they can be very challanging. For the past year or so I have been dealing with cretain Polish people who have mistaken overzealous behaviour of mine for someting that is outright profane and evil.
It has been a real uphill battle for me but I persist in trying to vindicate myself. The one thing that has been a source of strength in this endevour is the fact that I have not lost my temper once inthe course of this fiasco.
How could I honestly say Christ is King if I do not abide by words like this. The biggest obstacle I face here is the fact that inspite of have extending an Olive Branch on many ocassions seeking conversation to sort things out, I have been constantly rebuffed.
So, the way I see it, the onus is on those who refuse to talk. I am open to dialog at any time. Indeed, I pray daily for reconcilliation.
Terry
