Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:12

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

1 Peter 3:8

Several years ago a friend asked me to read Making Ripples, by Mike Breaux. While I am unable to quote the book, the basic premise is that our actions affect others.

We never go it alone, but how often do we try to live within our own strength instead of the empowering presence of the Holy Spiirit? Whether we seek to live Spirit-filled lives or not, our lives touch others around us. We can make a positive impact or a negative one – most of us have done both at one time or another and in the passage above Peter is concerned with how we interact with all people whether they are followers of Christ or not.

Not one of us is perfect. We’ve made our share of bad decisions that haven’t honored God, but each of us can go forward with our lives and touch others with lives that honor Christ as we follow Him.