CCBC

Living and Loving

This week I received two particular emails from one of CCBC’s internet aficionados and their contents are well worth sharing, as follows:

1. An American research study has revealed that going to church is good for women’s health and can cut the risk of dying early by up to a third. The study analysed women over a 16-year period and concluded that those who went to church weekly had a 26% lower risk of death than those who never went, whilst those who attended church more or less than once a week had 33% and 13% lower risk rates respectively. The researchers suggest these results are due to church helping “people develop a more optimistic or hopeful outlook on life”, also that “attending religious services increases social support, discourages smoking [and] decreases depression”. When I replied to this email I did query the position for men and subsequently have been wondering whether Christian women especially benefit from having long-suffering, servant husbands?! More seriously, how good it is to see such secular research supporting the general blessings of the Christian life. Of course, these are ‘average’ figures and we sadly know special exceptions – yet the Scripture is generally true that “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91v16) – indeed our long life in Christ is in fact everlasting!
2. The second email simply set out these ten ways to love others (in some instances the Bible references appear to be somewhat ‘general’):
• Listen without interrupting (Proverbs 18v13)
• Speak without accusing (James 1v19)
• Give without sparing (Proverbs 21v26)
• Pray without ceasing (Colossians 1v9)
• Answer without arguing (Proverbs 17v1)
• Share without pretending (Ephesians 4v15)
• Enjoy without complaining (Philippians 2v14)
• Trust without wavering (1 Corinthians 13v7)
• Forgive without punishing (Colossians 3v13)
• Promise without forgetting (Proverbs 13v12)
Peace and Grace

Paul