"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
Today we come to the sixth of the nine areas by which we fill our mind. These nine areas will save us from broken relationships.
whatever things are of good report
“Good report” is sweet speaking or fair speaking. This person speaks well for himself. He is reputable, winning, attractive, and leads others to exclaim “well done.” He is commendable. This believer is positive and constructive rather than negative and destructive. Do not dwell on the negative and bad report. Dwelling on discouraging things distorts our view of the world. Ugly and untrue words destroy the possibility of reconciliation.
If Euodia thinks on the virtues of Syntyche, her sister in Christ will develop a greater likelihood of reciprocity. If Euodia magnifies her graces and minimizes her faults, Syntyche will sense appreciation. She has the greatest context to link to Euodia as a friend.
If, on the other hand, Euodia is a gossip monger, who tells every horrible story she can find about Syntyche, there is little hope for reconciliation. Some people love to relate the failures of other people because it makes them look good by contrast.
Principle: God wants us to tell good, kind and true stories about others.
Application: Speaking well of others builds an environment for reconciliation. Instead of dwelling on the failures of our friends we focus on their positive contributions we have a much greater potential for reconciliation. When there comes an occasion to correct a friend we will have built an environment of credibility that will allow us to critique them.
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