A good storm

I love a good storm!  It makes me want to bake or get in and study my Bible.  :-)  Today I have been in my Bible.  I have been studying I Peter, just finished the first chapter.  I love getting in and learning  about my God, my relationship to him and His will for my life and service here. 

One of the things I love spending a bit of time on is defining the words.  Even those that I think I know the meaning of.  And the best part is I have my handy Websters 1828 on my computer.  It makes it so easy to look up words!

1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

One of our first lessons as a Christian is to grow in grace to be my like Christ.  We are to be holy, as He is holy.  Simple enough.  But as I prayed over this verse the word conversation kept running through my mind.  I knew that it is more than just our speech, even more than our thoughts.  It includes our actions and our reactions to people and things around us.

From Webster's 1828

CONVERSATION, n.

1. General course of manners; behavior; deportment; especially as it respects morals.

Let your conversation be as becometh the gospel. Philippians 1.

Be ye holy in all manner of conversation. 1 Peter 1.

2. A keeping company; familiar intercourse; intimate fellowship or association; commerce in social life. Knowledge of men and manners is best acquired by conversation with the best company.

3. Intimate and familiar acquaintance; as a conversation with books, or other object.

4. Familiar discourse; general intercourse of sentiments; chat; unrestrained talk; opposed to a formal conference.

What I mentioned in conversation was not a new thought.

This is now the most general use of the word.

WOW! It's my manners (Mom was right!), my behavior (how I act), my deportment (we will get to this one), and my morals (wow is right!). It's my testimony to a dark and sinful world. It's how I behave when times are good, and how I react when the trails of life come storming at me. I really am a reflection of the gospel.

Then in number two it's my friends, who I fellowship with.  As a mom this make me very happy, I have the perfect verse for "choose your friends wisely."  :-) We must be mindful of who we are around. Some situations we can't control, work or school, but we can and should still choose our friends (even in these situations) carefully. Our testimony, and our Saviours, is depending on it.

I think the third definition got to me the most.

as a conversation with books, or other object.

Now when this was written, in 1828, television was not around.  But I do believe that it would have been listed very possibly even before books.  What we read and watch affects our thoughts and our spirits.  Be very careful what you consume, even one time.  It changes your thought process, what you find acceptable, what you laugh at, and even what you say.

And the fourth.  Thethought that keeps running through my head here is "is this why so manyunsaved and those who have left church see us as hypocritical?"  What we are familiar with shows how we spend our time.  It's a reflection of whats important enough to us that we are willing to give it our spare moments.  If the lost can't see a difference in my life, why would they want to meet a Saviour who gave His all for me?  How am I different?

Then I looked up deportment.

DEPORTMENT, n. Carriage; manner of acting in relation to the duties of life; behavior; demeanor ; conduct; management.

Do you know what popped out at me in this definition?

 manner of acting in relation to the duties of life

How I behave, in actions and attitudes, toward those things that I must accomplish every day. How am I different from the world, society, around me?

These are the questions I haven been asking myself.  This week I am asking God to show me how my conversation and deportment are reflecting on Him.  And to help me be aware of when I am allowing my "unrestrained talk" be what it shouldn't be.  I know that it will take longer than this week, more like the rest of my life.  But I am great with that. 

The storms of life will come. How I behave in them is all that I can control.


Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.