The tongue so vital to our existence and communication gets us into more trouble than we can possibly imagine (Ja. 3:1-12). A fire hospitalized me for 18 months. After my release from rehabilitation and surgeries, I entered a private school to gain college credentials. During my rehabilitation, an older gentleman with tears in his eyes said aloud to his companions in Russian, "That German is good for nothing." Very likely, he did not take into account that I was familiar with his language. One of the compassionate students said to my face, "If you put horns on, you look like the devil." Some Christians regarded my accident as a punishment of God. It did raise my guilt level and I had no angelic look any longer. But, it would have been much easier to bear had the Creator installed filters in our mouths to control what we say. "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Prov. 12:18). Fortunately, there were more people that encouraged me to look beyond my scars. These persons were a blessing for filtering what they were saying to me and about me. What we say about each other in secret, our tongue will embarrass us in public (Mt. 10:27).

Preferring is a serious obstacle in becoming a better person. It is a weakness we all share. When we choose one over another, we create harm. When Eve preferred the clever serpent to her husband, trouble began in a big way. Jacob pampered Joseph and his brothers sold him into slavery. Even God may have had a touch of it when He chose David over his brothers and King Saul, but for good reasons. "There is no preference of persons with God" (Ro. 2:11). We humans do our preferring on likes and dislikes, on color and skin, on race and religion, and on issues and politics. Issues and politics are the two worst culprits because they invade, not just a person; but, more so a community, a nation and all religions. Preferring is like a leaven that permeates our life. Jesus warned that even He would disrupt families and nations over His teaching (Mt. 10:34-39). In my own family, we have differences that could split us up like so many do over partiality. Even my wife likes listening to solicitors that rub me the wrong way. None of these things have disrupted our family ties because the peace of Christ overshadows them. Christ for us has changed the rules by which we preference when we have to. We do and must, at times, choose not based on feeling, likes or looks, but on values that do not hurt us or anyone else.

DOING WHAT NEEDS DOING!

James, stepbrother to Jesus, told his readers to wait on the Lord before they ventured out into the business world. Yet, in the same context he wrote this, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (Ja. 4:13' 17). How then do we balance what ought to be done and waiting on the Lord to tell us when to do it? What would the Lord himself say we ought to do? Here is the rude awakening of what Jesus expects of us. Doing good or what is right requires no waiting on the Lord, but intending to do what is questionable requires endless waiting on the Lord. "Blessed is the servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Verily I say to you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods" (Mt. 24:46-47).

Jesus said this regarding the kingdom. The same can be said about being a better person. "But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away" (Mt. 13:25). "For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (Ja. 1:13-14).

The Apostle Peter believed that Christians were endowed with godliness so that they could participate in a divine nature that can claim Christ's promises (II Peter 1:3-4). How can a human being become godly? Instantly, we think of holiness, sanctification, seclusion, spiritual worship, fasting, prayer and other religious deeds like kindness and brotherly love (II Peter 1:5-9). All these deal with human behavior. We know that the potential is there because man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26), there were sons of God that strayed after the daughters of men (Gen. 6:2), the sons of the Most High were called gods (Ps. 82:6), Jesus identified with being divine, while He was human (Jn. 10:34-35) and His followers could become children of God by their actions (Jn. 1:12-13). Christians, too, can become godly and behave divinely.

I faced death several times and I held on for my dear life; but that is absolutely nothing in comparison to facing God in eternity (Heb.10: 29-31). Faith has the awesome task of persevering into eternity (II Pe.1: 6; Ro.5: 3-4; Eph.6: 18). It is not a matter of enduring or outlasting hardships, illness or even persecutions. Regardless of how severe these may be, they do not last or go beyond the grave. We are living in a time when we are in danger of losing our life, soul or salvation (II Pe.3: 17-22). It is not my idea, but the message that Jesus left behind (Lk.18: 8). We are not being persecuted in the free world, but we are being restricted to practice our religion indoors. Sin can no longer be denounced. Marriage is a thing of the past. The biggest culprit is the word unconditional. It was a superb invention for sinners that do not and will not let go of their wicked ways. Unconditional love and grace is tailor made for people that do not repent. Too many religious leaders please our itchy ears (II Tim.4: 3-4). How often do we hear sermons on the wrath of God, on judgment day or on being rewarded for our works rather than our faith? Have we heard anyone suggest that grace may be a reward rather than a gift for those that carry out the will of God or for Christ here on earth (Eph.2: 10; Mt.7: 21-23)? What has become of the fear of God (Mt.10: 28)? Just how Christian are our public prayers without the name of Jesus (Mt.10: 32-33)?

Socrates, an Athenian philosopher 400 B.C., was of the opinion that people in power did not want the public to think for themselves. His idea was that before we can be someone, we must know ourselves. The truth then, and still is today, that when we do not use our brain, we become like sheep that depend totally on shepherds. Good shepherds will teach us to use our minds and bad shepherds will demand that we trust theirs. A good leader, like the Apostle Peter, urged his followers to acquire knowledge to uphold their faith or their attitude (II Pe.1:5-6). To be a better person, I must know myself. That means, I must use my head and determine what I am capable of. How and on what do I build my life, my personality or my attitude (Mt.7:24-27)? To start with, I had to determine not to remain content with what an accident and circumstances were turning me into. I refused to resign myself to a life that depended totally on others. Particularly, the idea that God had a hand and purpose in my fated destiny was difficult to deal with. Neither could I follow anyone's theory or guidance. There were no shoes I could fit in but my own. I had to dig into myself and try to find the knowledge that I could use to better my lot and myself. I did not uncover my ability to rebuild my life instantly. It was a gradual but productive improvement in dealing with myself. The most remarkable sign was that I became better, rather than bitter.

e last of Paul's fruits of the Spirit or attitude is self-control (Gal.5: 23). It is his summation of how one can keep tabs on oneself. For me it raise the question, "How do I manage myself?" Self-management has troubled man from the cradle to the grave. What James wrote about the tongue can equally be said about attitude. "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says (or does), he is a perfect person, able to keep his whole body in check" (Ja.3: 2). Jesus warned of becoming careless. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Mk.14: 38). Cain was told to deal with evil before it consumed him. "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must control it" (Gen.4: 6-7). Thomas a Kempis counseled, "Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be" (Wa. 2093).

The Apostle Peter knew, first hand, that faith could not stand by itself without the support of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. These things would make his readers better people (II Pe. 1:5-9). What kind of a faith did Peter have in mind? It was something he had to build up. He was not born with it. Faith is a human necessity. We cannot live without it. Every time we take a chance, we step out in faith. We make faith work and succeed by doing what we set out to do. Dormant or inactive faith bears no fruit (Ja. 2:14). Faith is being molded by what we do (Hab. 2:4). Without doing what is necessary and right, faith has no leg to stand on. My first twenty-one years I lived on farms and I have learned early that we had to seed and plant in order to have a harvest. We had faith that what we put in the ground would produce a crop. This is true about everything we do in life. Particularly, when we want to be better persons, we must cultivate an active faith that incorporates the traits Peter used.

The seventh characteristic of a healthy attitude is faithfulness (Gal.5: 22). I am looking at it in the sense of loyalty and trust. Am I dependable or can I be trusted. Years ago, I sold some property to a person on a loan. One day, he became religious and exempted himself from his obligation. Fortunately, a non-religious person stepped in and fulfilled his obligation. Is this what Paul or Jesus had in mind? Is that the kind of attitude that we ought to show in a world that no longer trusts anyone?