Home
Home is not always peace. Partner, children, relatives, or the silence in a flat. You may feel what is unfair, and choose not to collect bitterness. A soft word instead of a slammed door. If home is unsafe: get help. God’s love is bigger than the mood at the kitchen table.
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
What it means
Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
How you can live it
At home: one kind word, one soft answer, one act of forgiveness if you can.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
What it means
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Be thankful.
How you can live it
When the house is tense: ask peace to rule in you first. One thankful sentence helps.
for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.
What it means
Frälsning är en gåva, inte en belöning. Du kommer inte till Gud genom att prestera. Ingen står inför honom och pekar på sina meriter.
How you can live it
När du känner att du måste förtjäna Guds leende: det är gåva. Andas ut. Du är redan älskad.
Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”
What it means
He says it twice because it does not always come by itself. It is not “be glad because everything is fun” — it is having someone to lean on when it is not.
How you can live it
Find one thing in the Lord to hold on to today, even if the rest is grey.
the LORD, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
What it means
The Lord your God is in your midst. He will rejoice over you with gladness.
How you can live it
When you feel like a burden: you are someone to delight in. Receive that.
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
What it means
Var alltid glada, be utan uppehåll och tacka Gud i allt. Det står i allt — inte för allt. Du behöver inte vara glad över det svåra. Du kan ändå tacka mitt i det.
How you can live it
I en jobbig dag: en tack-mening (någon som lyssnade, mat, en vers) och en bön. Inte fejk-glädje.
A prayer
God, you see my home. Give me peace in my heart, soft words when I can, and help when it is too hard. Amen.