Awarenes in Bad Days

Hebrews 12:2

It is extremely important in our bad days to be diligent in active awareness of our sobering responsibilities as Christians. Peter relates in his second epistle, chapter 3, four characteristics of the “being” Christian: ·    

•      “Beloved . . . BE mindful” (3:1,2): Be mindful of “the words which were spoken before” that is, keep in your minds God’s word. Christians are admonished to “stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.” Don’t forget the word of God. The pure word will counteract the evil word of the scoffers (3:3,4) which, as defined in this passage, are the evolutionary uniformitarians who deny that God has intervened on various occasions (especially Creation and the Flood) in the affairs of this world.·        
• “Beloved . . . BE not ignorant” (3:8). As far as the Christian is concerned, there is no excuse for ignorance. The believer should not be ignorant of the Lord’s timetable (3:8); the Lord’s salvation (3:9); nor the Day of the Lord (3:10–13). The contrast for the believer is the evolutionist who is “willingly ignorant” of the creation and the flood (3:5,6). ·        
•  “Beloved . . . BE diligent” (3:14):  Diligence should be found in our upward look (3:14): our outward conduct (3:14); and our daily witnessing (3:15). 
•  “Beloved . . . BEware” (3:17): “Lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.” The Christian who is not alert to the errors of the wicked is in constant danger of falling away. On the negative side, “Beware!” On the positive side, “be ye holy” (I Peter 1:16); “be ye steadfast”

Think of self awareness as a feedback system, a way of seeing your behaviors and even your thoughts from the perspective of another, but with immediate feedback. If you've ever experienced regret at something you did or said, or even a thought process you held, later wishing you had thought, said, or did something differently, you'll recognize the immediate benefit of self awareness and mindfulness. Rather than attempting to reverse the effects of something that has already occurred, self awareness allows for self regulation – correcting the thoughts, words, or deeds before they are completed. 

(John 19:25-27) Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his motherʼs sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

In our bad days we need to take care of those closest to you. We should not allow our bad days become other peoples bad days. Conflict can start from our bad days.

We see that family conflicts are as varied as the people involved in them. The turmoil can result from a workaholic husband whose wife feels lonely and resentful toward him (and the job that takes him away from her), or children who are a source of continual family conflict and aggravation due to the parent’s lack of consistent parenting skills, or blended families in which an unaccepted step parent or interfering in-laws are the sources of family conflict. In other homes, couples and families are torn apart by verbal, emotional, or physical abuse. All these are people having bad days. We need to be aware of the stages of how a conflict passes through during these bad days

If a conflict is approached constructively from the outset, the people concerned may recognize that they share a problem and cooperate with each other in confronting it and solving it. However, what generally happens instead is that:

• The people concerned see each other as the problem or the cause of the problem and devote all their time, effort and energy into blaming and attacking each other for it.
•   The problems or points at issue multiply and become entangled with each other and confused as the tension increases between the two parties.
• A lack of clear, direct and respectful communication between the two parties aggravates the conflict, and an attitude of hostility develops. As emotions intensify, this attitude of hostility becomes an increasing obstacle to the solution of the problem. The two parties talk mostly about (with others), rather than with, each other.
• An atmosphere of fear and anger makes listening and constructive speaking difficult for both parties.
• The original cause of the conflict is forgotten or replaced by new “issues”, as emotions become further inflamed between the two parties. They begin to accuse each other of things that happened before the actual conflict occurred.
• Having a neutral attitude towards the conflicting person becomes more and more difficult. “Voices of tolerance” are no longer heeded. Extreme attitudes take centre stage 

Relationships between family members are typically the closest, most emotionally intense of any in the human experience . The bonds between adult partners, between parents and children, or between siblings involve the highest level of attachment, affection, and commitment. There is typically daily contact for many years that bonds individuals together.  When serious problems emerge in these relationships, the intense positive emotional investment can be transformed into intense negative emotion. A betrayal of a relationship, such as an extramarital affair or child sexual abuse, can produce hate as intense as the love that existed prior to the betrayal. It is well known that a high percentage of murders are committed within family groups. Family conflicts are typically more intense than conflict in other groups. This intensity means that managing conflicts may be more difficult in families, and that their consequences can be more damaging. (James 4:1) “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?”  A family conflict can go through the following stages:

• Withdrawal.
• Escalation.
• Belittling.
• False belief.  

In our Bad Days we have to be aware of some things so as to avert any conflict: (Romans 15:5) “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.” 

• We need to be aware of God’s view of other. (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” As we become more Christ-centered and Kingdom-minded our desire should be to see as God sees, especially concerning people. I’ll admit it’s challenging because our sin nature demands that we look at the outward appearance and make prejudgments based on what we see with the natural eye. Undoubtedly, even as devoted Christians we have formed opinions and made decisions based solely on the externals. In many instances, we have probably listened to the prejudged viewpoints of others that were based on outward appearances. However, as we devote ourselves to live in obedience to the Holy Spirit it should become easier to see from God’s perspective. Seeing people as being made in the image and likeness of God should motivate us to love as God loves—unconditionally and unbiased. What an awesome privilege the Lord has lavished on us to see people as He does
• We need to be aware of the power of our words. (Proverbs 18:21) “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Written or spoken, words are continuously propelling us through life. They lift us up, drag us down, wound us deeply or heal our hearts. Words have the power to break confidences, build life long alliances or start wars. Words can make or break us, both as individuals and as a society. What have you been saying lately? The words you speak can have a profound effect on the people they reach. Are you encouraging or discouraging? Are you building up your children, your spouse, your friend or even the stranger you pass on the street? Or are you tearing down your own family with words of criticism, bitterness and judgment? Are you causing the destruction of your self-esteem by speaking ill suited words over yourself, your health and prosperity?
• We need to be aware of what we have done. (Matthew 7:3-4) “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” No one particularly enjoys making mistakes yet none of us are perfect. Mistakes are an inevitable part of life. I don’t know anyone who is truly living and doesn’t occasionally trip up and make a mistake. We don’t do ourselves or those around us any favors by covering it up, denying it or trying to place the blame somewhere else. But this is often the response when we fear what others will think about us or how they will react. “Are they going to dislike me?” “Think I’m stupid?” “Maybe this person’s going to be really angry with me.” The truth is people will appreciate you more when you take responsibility for your wrongdoings. If we try to escape our blunders, people tend to become more upset. People want honesty. They want us to show that we care. They want to see that we’re human when we make a mistake; that we’re willing to claim it. When we’re running from our own mistakes we’re missing our greatest opportunity for growth and evolution. So go easy on yourself. The first step to owning up to mistakes is to sincerely forgive ourselves. Okay, I messed up. Or I simply didn’t do something the way I wish I would have. We have to let ourselves off the hook. We have to give ourselves permission to not be perfect. It doesn’t mean we aren’t trying to do our best. It just means we are human. Sometimes we make mistakes and if the mistake involved another person we know it’s best to just offer a warm and sincere apology. I guarantee the situation will be resolved much more quickly when you own up to the mistake rather than if you try to weasel your way out of it. If the mistake was more of a personal nature, like some goal or ambition you have in life, don’t beat yourself up about the mistakes you make along the way or make some lame excuse to yourself. Just be honest with yourself about what happened. It’s the best way to move past it and accomplish something better. In either case, acknowledge what you learned from it and what you plan to do differently in the future and this is where the true growth begins.
• We need to be aware of what we should do. (1 Peter 3:8-9) “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” This is the Christian ideal, and it would be well if, without waiting for others, each one would adopt these precepts as the binding rule and regulation of daily life. This would be our worthiest contribution to the convincing of the world, and to the coming of the Kingdom of our Lord. Does not the Apostle's use of the word "finally" teach us that all Christian doctrine is intended to lead up to and inaugurate that life of love, the bold outlines of which are sketched in these words?
  1.  "Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another." This oneness of mind does not demand the monotony of similarity, but unity in variety. We shall never be of one mind in the sense of all holding the same opinions; but we may be all of one mind when, beneath diversities of opinion, expression, and view, we are animated by a common devotion to Christ. Note the specific applications.
  2. Love as brethren. Love is not identical with like. Providence does not ask us whom we would like to be our brethren. That is settled for us, but we are bidden to love them, irrespective of our natural predilections and tastes. Love does not necessarily originate in the emotions, but in the will; it consists not in feeling, but in doing; not in sentiment, but in action; not in soft words, but in unselfish deeds.
  3. Be pitiful Oh, for the compassion of our blessed Lord! How often it breaks out in the Gospel narrative to the weak and erring, to the hungry crowds, and to the afflicted who sought His help!
  4. Be courteous. Be ready to take the least comfortable seat, or to let others sit while you stand. Let the manners of your Heavenly Father's Court be always evident in your daily life, so that the world may learn that Christianity produces not simply the heroism of a great occasion, but the minute courtesies of daily living.
  • We need to be aware of what God will do. (1 Peter 5:5-6) “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due" Clothe yourselves" is the Greek verb enkomboomai, "to put or tie something on oneself, put on," from en + kombos, "band."\

  Humility is to be worn like a garment. When we begin the day and dress, we must also be careful to include an attitude of humility.  "Humility" is the Greek noun tapeinophrosunē, "humility, modesty" related to the adjective tapeinos, "to be of low social status," then "unpretentious, humble," later in this verse, and the verb tapeinoō in verse 6, "to cause to be or become humble in attitude, humble, make humble."Jesus described himself as humble or meek in heart (Greek praus, Matthew 11:28). Would that all God's leaders remember who God is and who they really are. Might they realize that all they have is a gift from God and the people are a trust from God. This is nothing to get big-headed about. It is a cause to lean heavily on the Lord for strength to lead well. Peter himself had been a blowhard and a braggart. He had learned humility through what he had suffered and through God's gracious forgiveness. The quotation from Proverbs 3:34 is heavy stuff: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (5:5b) "Opposes" (NIV, NRSV) and "resists" (KJV) is the Greek verb antitassō, "oppose, resist," from anti, "opposite, against" + tasso, "put, place." Do you struggle with pride?

  If you don't humble yourself, this passage says that God himself will resist and oppose you. God will stand against you in order to break your pride. On the other hand, he promises his special favor for those who are humble. "Grace" is the Greek noun charis, "a beneficent disposition toward someone, favor, grace, gracious care/help, goodwill."