Reflections by the Sea: The Example
By Betsy Ore Glass
The Example
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. I Peter 2:21
I am so grateful to be alive today for the medical and technology advances. Maybe you feel the same. Over the years, I have witnessed so many changes with each generation that has come behind me. Times are different now than they were when I was a child. Some days I long for the days when we didn’t have to lock our home or our cars. We were safe. Kids could play freely outside without being tethered to cell phones. The only curfew we knew was to be home when the street light came on. Dinner every night with the family was a must not just once in a while. Sunday church was never negotiated. A simpler time for sure. Things have changed and are continuing to change. And for sure, everyone has an opinion about what has happened to change our world to what it is today.
How did we get off track? Morals and kindness seem a bit lost in today’s world. Impatience has replaced patience. Giving into feelings has replaced living by values. But as much as it depends on us, we can change these things in favor of a better life. A godly life. The one place we can go for the direction of how to live is the Bible. It’s all there, wisdom, commandments, instruction.
I remember my grandmother and I swinging on her front porch, sharing our lives, when I went to see her every Saturday. I’d express a problem I had at home or in school and we would talk it out. Her words always led me to God. She was kind herself and she led by example of how she tended her home and her family. I learned as much watching her as I did listening to her wisdom. It all starts at home.
This week I heard it said, “the world is changed by our example, not our opinions.” How true and good to keep in mind before we offer up our thoughts. Are we living our lives in a way that we make a difference? Are we impacting another life? Are we sharing Jesus with others? If we want to see positive changes in our home, our community, our world, then we want to line up our actions and thoughts with God’s Word. Our example often speaks louder than our words. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9
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