Moving On to Maturity (2)

Peter writes: ‘Never return… insult for insult...’ (1 Peter 3:9 AMP) When you’re under fire, instead of defending yourself with hurtful comments and clever comebacks designed to put the other person in their place, pray ‘for their welfare, happiness, and protection… that you may… inherit a blessing [from God].’ (1 Peter 3:9 AMP) ‘Keep [your] tongue… from evil.’ (1 Peter 3:10 AMP) Some people never learn this lesson. There’s an old English gravestone that reads: ‘Beneath this sod, this lump of clay, lies Arabella Young; who on the 24th of May began to hold her tongue.’ During the French Revolution the king and queen were beheaded, leaving the crown prince orphaned. There was talk about beheading him too, until somebody allegedly said, ‘If you kill him you’ll just send his soul to Heaven. Instead, turn him over to Old Meg and she’ll teach him vile, filthy words so his soul will be damned forever!’ The story goes that, when they turned the prince over to this woman of the streets who tried to teach him all kinds of profanity, he said: ‘I was born to be a king and I will not say it!’ Bottom line, when you’re the child of the King your words should reflect it. ‘Seek peace.’ (1 Peter 3:11 NKJV) It takes courage to be the peacemaker. Everywhere you look people are angry about the government, taxes, unemployment and just about anything else you can think of. Being a peacemaker isn’t the same as being a peacekeeper. Peacekeepers look for ways to keep the peace by maintaining a delicate balance between both sides. Peacemakers plough into the middle of the conflict and help them make peace with each other.