1 Peter 3:8-9

1 Peter 3:8-9

Finally, all are like-minded, sharing emotion with others, having brotherly love, compassionate, humble, while not giving back evil against evil or slander against slander but on the other hand while blessing because into this you were being called in order that you all should inherit a blessing.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

 Peter tells us that we are to be like-minded, compassionate, loving one another, empathetic, and humble.  In other words, we are to put others before ourselves.  We are to know ourselves and at the same time be intentional about reaching out and seeing life through the other person’s eyes.  Once more we get a glimpse of Peter talking about sacrificial living.  As a Christian – as a follower of Jesus – we are never far from sacrificial living.  Life is not about me.  Life is about following Christ and allowing Christ to turn me into that which He can use to show His love to the needs of the people around me.

Why is it sacrificial to be like-minded, compassionate, loving one another, empathetic, and humble?  In what ways do you see each of those words in the example of Jesus?

Second Thought:

We are not to repay.  God tells us that “Vengeance is mine.”  It really is that simple.  Just because someone treats us a particular way doesn’t give us permission to treat them the same way back.  That’s not how God reacts to us.  We reject God, yet He loved us and invited us into relationship.  That’s how we are to react when people do the same to us.  We are rejected by the world; yet we are not to reject them in return but rather to invite them into relationship.  God did not close the door on us, who are we to close the door on others?

Have you ever repayed evil for evil?  Why is that such a human reaction?  Why is that so far from the model and example of God?

Third Thought:

Why do we live this way?  Peter makes it very simple.  We live this way so that as we are a blessing into the lives of others we might inherit a blessing ourselves.  We live that way because God did the same thing to us.  We didn’t deserve grace, but God gave us grace anyways.  In giving us grace, He is blessed by us as we recognize His grace into our life.  In the same way, when we are a blessing to others we likewise inherit a blessing, too!

Where have you been blessed because you were a blessing?  Have you ever thought about that way of living as a reflection of how God acted towards us?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Peter 3:10-12