Do No Evil

    Do no evil is a phrase you hear as you are growing up to make you a good child that may become a good person.  However, not many people explain what it means to do no evil.  It starts with learning how to submit.  Submission is not an action that comes naturally.  It fights against doing what you want to do to be obedient.

    If you are obedient even when you do not want to be, then people will take notice.  It may just open the doors for other people to come to Christ.  The number one place to submit is in your relationship to God.  It is called self-control.  If you can master that, then marriage may be a little easier.  

    In marriage husband and wife both must submit to the other.  Your life is no longer about what you need, but what your marriage relationship needs.  This goes against the culture of the self-care attitude.  Making sure your spiritual, emotions, and physical care is important, but it should not come at the expense of your marriage.  This just means that if you take care of each other, then self-care should not be an issue.  

    The attitude of marriage is about keeping it pure and reverent to God.  Try to understand each other by listening.  Wives submit to your husband as a witness to God.  Husbands honor wives as your treasure from God in grace (to honor God).  This is how you teach your children to honor God.  It shows them in a picture what salvation looks like.  On the personal level, if you take care of each other, then your prayers will not be hindered.  

    Your beauty comes from within.  We live in a superficial world where people feel like they have to look perfect to be loved, get the job, have friends, and even feel good about themselves.  We loose focus on where true beauty comes from: God.  The beauty that He gave you is unfading, gentle, and allows a quietness in your spirit because this attitude makes God happy.  You thank Him for how he made you and appreciate your body, then you will be blessed by God.

    To do no evil is to be considerate and respectful to the gifts that other people bring to your life.  You will not like all of them, but God placed certain people in your life at certain times for His purpose.  You don't have to like it or them, but you do need to love them enough to treat them as a creation of God.  This will keep anything from hindering your prayer life.  Doing what is good causes no harm to anyone.

    Do all you can to live in harmony by embracing sympathy, love, compassion, and humility in all your relationships.  Do not expect perfection or you will be disappointed.  All you need to do is the best you can do and keep people from stealing your inner peace.  There are those that will do all that they can to steal it so that you will be as miserable as they are.  Pray for them and fight for your peace through harmony.

    Bless the people that curse you.  It helps you know that you have lived faithfully and it places their curses upon them.  If you do all things from a place of holy love, then you will inherit blessings.  The hardest part is keeping control over your tongue.  Let go of that last word because the tongue years to do evil.  If you tame the tongue, then your tongue will seek peace.  

    Christians do good by living out their salvation.  That starts with Baptism.  Baptism physically only makes you clean, but spiritually it represents a clear conscience.  It shows the world that is watching that you want to be obedient to God.  Baptism is a pledge to be resurrected with Jesus and become a new (holy) person.  You declare that you are subject to Heaven: angels, authority, powers of God.  It symbolizes a new life under salvation.

    Christians do not fear like the world fears.  We should be prepared to defend our faith and God's Word at any given time.  Do not second guess yourself.  Do not let title or people that know how to argue to intimidate you.  You can hold your own because the Holy Spirit has the ability to put the words in your mouth.  All you have to do is listen.  Again this means having control over your tongue.  

    When you defend your faith and God's Word be careful about being gentle.  Harsh words easily turn to anger.  Rough tones turns people on the defensive.  You need them to listen and not shut God's Word out.  Be respectful of how other people believe, so that they will hopefully be respectful in return.  We know that our bodies will die, but our souls live eternal.  Their fear of death is valid.  Talk to them, so that they will see and want another option.

1 Peter 3