It’s All in Your Mind

] ] my knees and bow down." Can you see Peter doing that? Many times Christians are extremely discourteous. In fact, it would seem that many times believers go out of their way to act opposite ofgood manners. Peter says that one-mindedness produces courlEsy. It is a Christian attribute of maturity to act like a person who is in the presence of a king. Verse nine is possibly a complementary passage to verse eight. or it may be an addition that brings a result: "m,t un.dui.ng wil j,n,. mil." No mature Christian retaliates. If someone is discourteous, we should not be discourteous in return. We should. "t!Dlt .iuui.m.iu [render a] hhuhu,,,." We need not elaborate; vengeance belongs to God. Christians who breathe together are not in the get even business. So, we breathe together arid this results in love, sympathy, tenderheartedness, and courtesy. Will acting this way do anything for us? Well, of course, rewards in Heaven at the Berna Seat of Christ But Peter adds, "~ dud !Ji'.. RN dun.unl.o- eallul, lkal (J,e Jwu1d inltui1 IL hhuhu,,,. .,, I am convinced that many Christians are losing some blessings or benefits now because they are not practicing the commands of the Word of God. All that Peter wrote in these two verses ar-e commands. There is no choice or debate. Peter defines this inheritance as a blessin9. One of the most difficult words in the Bible to understand is the word bless, although we use this word readily in our prayers and in our conversation as believers. In l Chronicles 13, the Ark of God had been away from the children of Israel. David decided to bring it back, but did so against the procedures outlined in the law. Uzza, trying to steady the Ark so it would not fall off the cart. was punished with death by God and David was displeased with the Lord. David questioned how he was going to get the Ark bade to its place and position. David carried the Ark aside to the house of Obed-edom and there it remained. 1 Chronicles 13 :l.r+ tells us that, "'gJu ,J!.t}(/lfj) 61.uu.d llu lwuu o/- OhnL..ttfom, and all tJuIL Ju had." In the Hebrew, the word translatEd bless has three principles or thoughts. First is the power of fulfillment The word seems to indicate that if God is blessing, the Lord will cause that person to accomplish all that he endeavors to do. Obed-edom had heaven on earth for three months in his house. Everything he did turned out right. Second, there is the principle of harmony. There was no fighting in Obed-edom's house for three months. The only reason we have differences in our homes is because we as Christians do not think alike. You get a family ofChristians thinking alike and breathing together and Peter's verses will come alive and the benefit will be blessing which includes harmony. The only reason that a believing husband and wife fight is because they are not thinking alike, controlled by the Holy Spirit. We apply the Word to our individual Christian lives and to the local church, but seldom to the family. A saved husband and wife ought to be breathing together because they are one. This will produce harmony. Third, the word bless includes the thought of prosperity. Peter says that if you are one-minded and breathe together, you will produce the characteristics lismd in these two verses and you will inherit a blessing-power, harmony, and prosperity. 69