2 Corinthians 13: 11-13 v 11b “Be joyful.”
Words that stood out
I close my letter with these last words. Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. May the grace of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Reflection
Letters! When was the last time you wrote a letter and sent it by what we call snail mail these days? We send texts, we email, we add emojis. How careful are we, with the words we write today? Paul gives us some great ideas as to how we should write our communications. First be joyful. Yes, the 24 hour rule, if you are angry or upset by someone’s words wait before you reply so that you can be happy when you are writing. Make sure you are as mature as you can be and if possible, encourage others. And ask yourself, can we live in harmony and peace, when we are next together? And finally to make sure that God is there too. As I sign off most of my emails I write thanks, and say in my head “be to God”. Following God’s advice is always good.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the wisdom we find in your words in the bible. Help us to encourage each other. As we mature as Christians in all we do, may we live in peace and harmony. Amen.
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