"Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease" (Prov. 22:10). Would my home, the place where I work, and the church be more peaceful and harmonious if I were "cast out"? If I am a scoffing, murmuring, complaining scorner, they would be. Is it not a sad thought to think that life might be better for others if I were not present?

 "Heartaches and misery may well be caused by external events and circumstances. They may also be developed in the laboratory of the mind, formed and fashioned out of the empty air of self pity within the vile of bitterness and ingratitude."

 "A skunk and a rose are known, in part, by the scent they emit." God can see our lives as a "sweet smelling savor" or as a disgusting odor (Amos 5:21; Eph. 5:2). So, to him, which are you, a skunk or a rose?

 "And they glorified God in me" (Gal. 1:24). What a compliment! What a tribute! Could it be said of your friends, neighbors, relatives, and co-workers, "And they glorified God in me"? Or will it be said, "And they denied God because of me"?

 "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you" (2 Thess. 3:1). Do we pray "that the word of the Lord may have free course"? Could we pray that the word of the Lord may "be glorified, even as it is with (us)"? Does the word have "free course" in our lives? Is the word of God "glorified" by our lives? Our daily lives, in the family, in the workplace, and in the community, may cause "the name of God and his doctrine" to be "blasphemed" or slandered (1 Tim. 6:1; Titus 2:5, 10). Which is it with you and me?

 A salesman knocked at the door. The man came to the door, and the salesman, smiling, said, "May I speak to the head of the house, please?" The gentleman said, "Well, sir, the real head of this house has put me in charge for nowso, what's on your mind?" How wonderful it would be if we would all keep in mind who is truly "the head of the house"!

 "Trickery, deceit, hostility, gouging, verbal abuse, conniving in private huddles, cries for blood, and the removal of some of the participants are the necessary ingredients of a good football game  and a church fuss."

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 4 p. 4
February 16, 1995