“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phil. 4:8)

A penny for your thoughts

What are you thinking about? It is important. The Bible says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7). That is why it is important to be careful what you put into your mind; the kind of tv shows and movies you watch, what you read and even the musical lyrics you listen to. It all becomes a part of your thinking and affects you negatively or positively. What goes into your mind will eventually affect your opinions, your attitudes, and your behavior in some way. You must be careful to guard what goes in because everything you do flows from it. (Prov. 4:23)

Therefore

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Prov. 4:23)

Quote

 “You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think.” - Marianne Williamson

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.” (Eph 3:16-17)

You can pray for good gifts for others

You can ask God for some specific “gifts” for them.  “If you ... know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11 NIV)

The gift of strength

Today, Ask God to grant others you care about strength through his Spirit in their inner selves so that Christ might dwell in their hearts through faith. (Eph. 3:16-17)

Therefore

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isai. 40:29-31)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

Self control

The dictionary defines self control as the ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations. Self control is to be able to take a step back from a situation and respond in a controlled fashion, instead of reacting in an out-of-control manner.

God has given us self-control

2 Tim. 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Therefore

Prov. 25:28 “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

Quote

“Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.” - Benjamin Franklin

“To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” (Titus 3:2)

Gentleness is misunderstood

Perhaps a struggle we have with gentleness is that we don't really understand what it is. The dictionary describes gentleness as being kind, sympathetic, considerate, understanding, compassionate, benevolent, and good-natured.

Charles Swindoll writes: “In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness—being soft and virtually spineless. Not so. Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self esteem and dignity. Instead of losing, the gentle gain; instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead.”

Gentleness can be firm, even powerful

To behave in a gentle manner requires that you stay centered in strong values used with controlled strength - that you are active rather than reactive. Confirming from this center, a gentle word or touch can channel your energy into healing or making peace.

Therefore

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17)

“Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” (Phil 4:5)

Quote

“I choose gentleness... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.” - Max Lucado

Luke. 12:42-44 “And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.’”

Faithfulness defined

The passage above defines faithfulness as a wise servant who manages his master's household diligently. He is therefore blessed as a result of his faithfulness.

The dictionary definition of faithfulness is “the quality of being loyal and steadfast in one's commitments, promises, or duties, often demonstrated through consistent support or adherence to a person, cause, or belief. It can also refer to the reliability and accuracy in maintaining truth or fidelity to something.“

Faithfulness is keeping to a task faithfully without giving up or quitting, no matter what happens. The following poem says it well.

Don’t quit!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

 Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

 Don't give up though the pace seems slow—

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

 Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

 So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

God is faithful

“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (Deut. 7:9)

Be faithful, too

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23)

Therefore

“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.” (Isa. 25:1)

Quotes

“God has not called me to be successful. He has called me to be faithful.” - Mother Teresa

“I know success or failure in my life or ministry does not depend on my own skill or even on external circumstances, it depends only on my faithfulness. God will give me the gifts necessary to do whatever He calls me to do, and He will not be hindered in His work by circumstances.” - Lester Sumrall

Rom. 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people

In Victor Hugo’s classic masterpiece, Les Misérables, he tells the story of a man named Jean Valjean, who was imprisoned for 19 years because he stole a loaf of bread. Once he is released he cannot find anywhere to work or stay because he is an ex-convict. He finally finds a compassionate bishop who takes him in, but he repays the man’s kindness by stealing his silverware and slipping away in the night.

The police arrest Valjean and bring him back to the bishop to be charged, but in a stunning display of mercy, the bishop tells the guards that the silverware was a gift and demands that they release him. He challenges Valjean to take the silver and use it to become an honest man—a moment that powerfully transforms his life. 

It is easy for us to forget just how powerful and redemptive mercy can be. It is also easy for us to forget that none of us were actually deserving of mercy. The bishop had no way of knowing that Valjean would actually keep his promise and become a better man. In the same way, Jesus had no guarantee that we would all receive His sacrifice on the cross, but He did it anyway, making our redemption possible.

Therefore 

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal. 6:10)

Quote

“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” -  Henry David Thoreau

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Eph 4:32)

God’s example of kindness to us

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,“ (Titus 3:416)

Put on a heart of compassion, kindness

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness,” (Col. 3:12a)

The effect of kindness

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. “Really?” she heard whispered. “I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!” and, “I didn’t know others liked me so much,” were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last do so.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. “Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked. She nodded: “Yes.” Then he said: “Mark talked about you a lot.”

After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

“We want to show you something,” his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.”

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him.

“Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.”

All of Mark’s former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home.”

Chuck’s wife said, “Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.”

“I have mine too,” Marilyn said. “It’s in my diary.”

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this with me at all times,” Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: “I think we all saved our lists.”

That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

Therefore

“Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.” (Prov 21:21)

Quote

“Tell those you love why you appreciate them while you can.” – Dr. Paul Chappell

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Eph 4:2)

According to the Bible, when you act patiently towards another, you are acting loving towards them. “Love is patient.” (1 Cor. 13:4)

The Lord’s example

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Two Helpful Bears 

There lived an old couple who quarreled frequently. The whole village knew about it, and when, at last, they ceased their quarreling, questions were asked as to how it all came about. "Two bears did it," said the wife. "Two bears?" exclaimed a neighbor, "we thought two bears caused all the trouble." "Ah!" said the husband, "but these are two new bears which we found in the Bible. We have learned to love "Bear ye one another's burdens," and "Forbearing one another in love." - Christian Advocate 

Therefore

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Col. 3:12)

Quote

“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.” -  Leonardo da Vinci

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt 5:9)

What does peace look like?

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.

The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.

As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.

A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. 

A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. - Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.

About personal peace

Duke University did a study on the factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability (personal peace) are:

·      The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.

·      Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.

·      Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.

·      Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.

·      Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.

·      Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humor, compassion and loyalty.

·      Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.

·      Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness. - Source Unknown.

Put peace into practice

Peace is one of the nine spiritual fruits that the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of born again  believers. (See Gal. 5:22-23). God produces spiritual fruit in you to be put into practice and shared with others. And God will be with you!

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil 4:9)

Therefore

Make every effort to let the peace of God rule in your heart and do whatever leads to peace in every situation you encounter.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Rom 14:19)

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Col 3:15)

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)