Be Still And Know

1 Peter 2.1 NLT 'So get rid of all evil behaviour. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.' In the previous chapter Peter commanded his readers to love one another. He now spells out what that will involve, because if we are truly to love other people then bad behaviour must stop. There’s no way in which a church can be dominated by love when there is deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy and gossip. All of those things are destructive of the love, peace and joy that God wants to dominate the lives of Christians. I have often heard people tell me that they have found their church deeply disappointing. Very often there is a problem with gossip, which so easily develops within any close community. And most odious of all is when Christians talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk. They are quick to criticise others for their failings, but are shown to be just as failed themselves. And so we could go on. It should never be a surprise that Christians often get it wrong, because we are all si