1 Peter 3:8-12 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the Face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Good and evil have always existed in the world. Throughout time, people have taken sides against one another. This is true in every aspect of the real world and in the spiritual world.
When I was a child we played games called, Cowboys and Indians and Cops and Robbers. The cowboys and cops were the good guys and the indians and robbers were the bad guys. At that time, television and movies portrayed the good and the evil by the music played and the color and design of the costumes. The good guys always wore white hats and the bad guys wore black hats. The battle was always between good and evil and good ultimately prevailed.
On television shows and movies today it’s very difficult to find the true good. Instead, it seems to be various degrees of evil. We see the really bad, the not-so-bad, and the little bit bad. There is no representation of true good; pure white. There are no white hats; only hats in shades of gray and black.
This is a perfect depiction of the natural world today. The true good is extremely hard to find. Our society is so corrupted with evil, everywhere we turn we see people wearing gray and black hats. Most people don’t even WANT to wear a white hat.
Children are bullied for being “too good” so they settle for being a “little bit bad” to fit in. Unfortunately, this is not limited to children. Adults are also bullied and intimidated into entering into sinful activities and they succumb to keep from being ostracized.
God does not call His people to “fit in” and wear gray hats and occasionally black ones. He calls us to come apart and be separate. He expects us to take a stand against evil and speak the Truth! If the Truth is in us, we will speak the Truth. If the Holy Spirit prevails in our lives, we will live good lives pleasing to God and turn away from evil.
It’s not easy, but in the end we will hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Let us live our lives seeking to hear these Words!
Only God can……..
Longing for those words, Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
