From a Christian perspective (without abandoning reality), WOULD YOU RATHER...
Encourage or Discourage?
Praise or Complain?
Rejoice or Murmur?
Love or Hate?
Be Gracious or Be Condemning?
Be Kind or Be Cruel?
Be of One Accord or Be Divisive?
Be Humble or Be Vainglorious (proud, conceited)?
Be Magnanimous or Be Petty?
Be Self Denying or Be Self Serving?
Be Joyful or Be Sad?
(and though the list goes on, I hope you will consider each of these seriously)
I guess we could reduce it to...
Would You Rather Be Christlike or UnChristlike?
Soooo then, why not be Christlike? It is a choice that God gives us and enables us to make. In fact, we cannot be like Christ unless we make the choice.
It is not a one time choice that we make and then presume upon, it is (or should be) a one time choice we make and then follow every moment. Being like Christ is a step by step commitment.
Mark 8:34-38
(34) And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me (dlg note, "be my disciple") let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
(36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
(37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
(38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
1 Peter 2:21-24
(21) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
(22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
(23) Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
(24) Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Encourage or Discourage?
Praise or Complain?
Rejoice or Murmur?
Love or Hate?
Be Gracious or Be Condemning?
Be Kind or Be Cruel?
Be of One Accord or Be Divisive?
Be Humble or Be Vainglorious (proud, conceited)?
Be Magnanimous or Be Petty?
Be Self Denying or Be Self Serving?
Be Joyful or Be Sad?
(and though the list goes on, I hope you will consider each of these seriously)
I guess we could reduce it to...
Would You Rather Be Christlike or UnChristlike?
Soooo then, why not be Christlike? It is a choice that God gives us and enables us to make. In fact, we cannot be like Christ unless we make the choice.
It is not a one time choice that we make and then presume upon, it is (or should be) a one time choice we make and then follow every moment. Being like Christ is a step by step commitment.
Mark 8:34-38
(34) And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me (dlg note, "be my disciple") let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
(36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
(37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
(38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
1 Peter 2:21-24
(21) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
(22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
(23) Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
(24) Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
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