10. Make a habit of not replying to the words of others or to pass judgment unless you have first listened and understood well what they are saying to you.
11. You cannot have disputes and strife with your fellow humans and still stand in peace with God. If you love God, you will also love your neighbor according to God’s will, who has commanded it.
12. Patiently bear your cross and do not complain to anyone. For your enemies may rejoice and other people will only think less of you if you complain.
13. Consider him a friend who privately rebukes you of your faults. It is a pitiful situation indeed if a man has no one who dares correct him when he has need of it. For if he is not rebuked, he may conclude in his own mind that he has no faults and thus continue in his sins to his own destruction, whereas by a friendly reproof he might be turned away from sin.
Everyone most certainly needs correction at times. For as the eye sees all and seeks the improvement of all yet cannot see itself or better itself, so by our very natures we are partial to ourselves and cannot see our own shortcomings and defects as easily as we can see those of other people. For this reason it is very needful that our faults be pointed out to us—which others can see so much more clearly than we ourselves can see them.
Regardless whether reproof is given justly or unjustly, by a friend or by an enemy, it can do a wise and understanding person no harm. For if it is the truth, it will remind you to better yourself. If it is false, it will serve as a warning what you should heed in the future.
But if you cannot bear to be corrected, then never do anything wrong!
Part Three Concerning Your Works
1. Do no evil, even if it is in your power to do so. Take heed not to do anything when you are alone that you would be ashamed of before men. Remember with Joseph that even if no man sees, God sees all, and that your own conscience will testify against you. Therefore avoid all sins, not just those which are public, but secret ones as well. For even as God is righteous, so will He, unless you forthwith repent, bring all your hidden sins to light and set them before your eyes (1 Corinthians 4:5; Psalms 50:21).
2. Especially, though, resist with all strength of soul your bosom sin, or that sin to which your nature is inclined more than to all other sins. For one person this may be to seek the honor of men, for another a greed for money, a third may tend to drunkenness, a fourth to impurity, a fifth to pride. Against these evil sins you must above all arm yourself and resist them, for once these are overcome you can also easily master others. As a fowler can hold a bird by one leg, in the same way wily Satan can possess your soul and keep it in his control by means of a single sin just as well as by many.
3. If you desire to avoid sin you will need to also shun every occasion and opportunity of sinning.Whoever does not avoid every incentive to sin cannot expect to overcome sin. Evil companions are an incentive to sin, for it is from them that one often hears offensive talk that can easily mislead and corrupt a person. Evil company corrupts good habits (1 Corinthians 15:33).
Evil companions are the devil’s dragnet by which he draws many into hell. For this reason shun such companions and have nothing to do with ungodly, lewd persons. If evil rogues entice you, don’t follow after them (Proverbs 1:10). Whoever spends much time with evil companions is easily corrupted by them—he learns their speech and before he realizes it he gradually becomes like them. Among the evil, one becomes evil—he must either sin, or suffer. For this reason a devout man avoids the companionship of the wicked.
If you do not wish to be enticed to fornication or immorality, you must diligently flee from the place and the companions by which opportunity would be given to you to fall into these sins. If you would escape the sin of drunkenness (which is the broad way to hell), then don’t become familiar with a drunkard or count him among your circle of friends. For of what benefit to you is such a person as a friend who would ruin your life, yea, your salvation? For experience teaches that more people have lost their lives through their own friends by way of drunkenness than have been killed by their enemies. So beware of all allurement to sin—you do not know how easily you could be deceived by the devil and by sin.
4. If you are tempted by evil companions or prompted by your own flesh to do any kind of harm to a fellowman, just stop to think how you would feel if someone did the same to you. What you would not want another to do to you, then likewise don’t do it to someone else. “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). No one likes to have others do harm to him, and therefore he should not do harm to others.
What you detest, don’t do to others. If you do not wish to be slandered, then do not slander others. On the other hand, if you wish to receive favors, then show the same to others. Do you wish to obtain mercy? Show mercy to your neighbor. Do you wish to be praised? Then praise others. If this rule is duly regarded, all transgressions of the first and second tablets of the Law will cease.
5. When you in your vocation propose to do something, do not allow any misgivings about the providence of God, even though you are aware there is a lack of means. However, do not begin anything in your work without having first besought the Lord God’s blessing upon your labors. For without God’s blessings, all the diligence, effort, labor, and care that we humans of the household invest will be in vain and useless (Psalms 127:1, 2). On the blessing of God all things depend.
Pray therefore to the Lord that He would bless your labors and only then seize hold of the task with a joyful spirit, committing the outcome to the wise providence of God who cares for us and permits no want to those who fear Him (Psalms 34:9).
6. Never propose to get ahead or to support yourself by any means that God has forbidden, for what kind of gain is that if you have won it at the expense of your soul? (Matthew 16:26).
It may be that through illicit means you do make a profit, but in so doing you defile and violate your conscience. And who can bear the burden of an injured nagging conscience?Therefore, in all your dealings and business, be diligent as was the Apostle Paul to always have a clear conscience before God and man (Acts 24:16).
7. Do not be proud and overbearing even though you have been blessed with this world’s goods, or else adorned with fine gifts of personality. For God who has given them will again take them away from you, if you misuse these gifts of His in pride and disdain of your fellow man.
Even though you may possess a certain virtue that causes you to feel proud, by the same token you have so many bad habits and shortcomings which give you ample reason to appear small in your own eyes. He who knows himself will surely find enough of his own faults to make it difficult to justify thinking himself better than others.
8. Strive to be an upright servant of Jesus Christ, not only outwardly in public services to hear God’s Word and the religious observances of the Gospel, but also in your whole life by renouncing all sin and in true obedience to live according to all the commandments of God. Do not be satisfied when others think of you as being devout—but truly be in reality what you appear to be. Woe to the man who is not pious yet wants to be considered as such.
9. Do not think it is enough if you yourself serve God, if you do not see to it that all those in your care do likewise. The duty of a father is not limited to his serving God alone, but that he also urge the members of his household, his children, servants and maids to do likewise. For God has commanded this to all fathers of families, “These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7).
So did Joshua, the gallant God-fearing hero, who informed all the people of Israel that even if they had no desire to serve the Lord, he and his whole house would nevertheless do so (Joshua 24:15). Every father must give account for the souls in his household just the same as the government for its subjects or the preacher for his audience (Ezekiel 3:18). He should therefore be deeply concerned that his wife and children, servants and maids serve the Lord God faithfully, which is the only way that their souls may be saved.
10. Avoid idleness as a resting-pillow of the devil and a cause of all sorts of wickedness. Be diligent in your calling so that the devil never finds you idle. Great is the power the devil has over the slothful, to plunge them into all kinds of sins, for idleness gives rise to every vice. It was when David was idle on his housetop that he became an adulterer (2 Samuel 11:2-5).
11. Strive at all times to be respectable in your clothes and have nothing to do with the vexing pomp and display of raiment. It is a great vanity to spend as much on one suit as would clothe two or three persons. If you in your old age were to think back to how much time you spent merely to adorn yourself, you could not but grieve that you ever loved such vain display.
Read often in God’sWord, and you will find many warnings against pride.You will see that no sin was punished more severely than pride. It changed angels into devils, and the powerful King Nebuchadnezzar into a wild beast. It was because of pride that Jezebel was eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:30-37).
12. Never do anything in anger, but carefully think it over first lest you come to regret it, and gain thereby a bad name. Meanwhile your anger will have cooled, and when you have again come to yourself you will be able to discern what you have to do. Always make a difference between one who wrongs you through lack of foresight and against his will, and one who does so deliberately and with malice. To the former show grace, to the latter justice.
13. Do not become too intimate with any man, except he fear God from his heart. For it is certain that any and all friendships, however established, if they are built upon any other foundation than the fear of God, cannot long endure.
14. Love your friend in such a way that you are not too confidential with him. This life is so subject to change and circumstance that no matter how a man conducts himself, it is hard for him to retain the good will of all his friends until the end of his days.
15. If you happen to get into any kind of dispute with your friend, do not despise him for it nor betray his confidences (Proverbs 11:13). For you want to be able to become friends with him again.
16. No one is his own master, only a steward over that which he has and possesses. Therefore, you must distribute of your goods to the needy, and do it wisely, willingly, and from the heart (Romans 12:13; 2 Corinthians 9:7).
17. If you are in a position of authority, rule much more with kindness and meekness than with fear and terror; for this is better than the use of tyranny, which is always accompanied by sorrow and anxiety. The righteousness of God cannot long endure tyranny—oppressors do not rule for long.
Remember that a harsh administration is a great injustice. God requires meekness from those in authority just as much as justice. For this reason, rule over your subjects with love and mercy so that they will love you more than they fear you.
18. Finally, in your conduct be friendly toward everyone and a burden to none. Toward God, live a holy life; toward yourself, be moderate; toward your fellow men, be fair; in life, be modest; in your manner, courteous; in admonition, friendly; in forgiveness, willing; in your promises, true; in your speech, wise; and out of a pure heart gladly share of the bounties you receive.
NOTES
Preface
1
The ideas in the next three paragraphs draw heavily from James K. A. Smith,
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009). Drawing on the work of Charles Taylor, Smith prefers the concept “social imaginary” instead of “religious beliefs.” See Charles Taylor,
Modern Social Imaginaries
(Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2004).
2
Joseph Stoll, “Our Instant Age,”
Family Life
, April 1994, 4.
3
This quotation is from “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which appears in King’s
Why We Can’tWait
(New York: New American Library, 1964), 86.
Chapter 1: A Peculiar Way
1
David Wagler, “Why So Different?”
Family Life
, October 1992, 34.
2
For two discussions of how North Americans view the Amish, see David L. Weaver-Zercher,
The Amish in the American Imagination
(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001) and Diane Zimmerman Umble and David L. Weaver-Zercher, eds.,
The Amish and the Media
(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008).
3
Quotations in this story are from Don Allen, “3-Year Terms for 2 Amish,”
Des Moines Register
, November 17, 1953; and Don Allen, “War Objector Found Guilty,”
Des Moines Register
, November 13, 1953 (emphasis added).