1 Peter 3:8-9 NIV
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
I read this verse and I totally wanted to write a devo reflection on it. My reason being is this. It’s very easy to read it and be all “That’s fine. That’s easy. I can do that.” then you close your bible and forget about that verse.
Can we actually be like-minded? All agreeing and not disagreeing on things. No conflicts?
Can we be sympathetic? What about sympathizing with someone that struggles with something? Or is still mourning the loss over someone after so many months/years, but we get annoyed and just want them to snap out of it?
Can we still love one another when they’ve betrayed you and you’re having a hard time forgiving them? How about that person that totally and utterly annoys you or offends you so much you want to just disregard this person exists?
How about being compassionate? Can we show compassion to that person who steps in to church that people naturally want to avoid, because maybe they smell, they’re on the edge of society, they’re not really sane, they’re homeless?
Or how can we be humble? As in not brag about how much we do at work, what latest gadget we have, how many figures we earn, etc etc.?
I’ll be honest here, it’s so difficult to not repay evil with evil. Because you automatically think evil will only accept evil ways. How else would it get to them? Like when someone punched your brother, and what do you want? justice--so then you go off in vengeance hunting down that someone.
Insults are thrown at you so you hurl insults back. The classic example is oh someone cursed to my face, let’s just answer back and curse back in response.
In a moment of frenzy it’s hard to control ones emotions. How can we stop that?
But it tells us we need to go the opposite way, to repay evil with blessings.
I find that hard.
And I know many do too.
Let’s be more reasonable here. It’s ok to forgive someone for saying something bad to you. But how can you forgive that crazy man who touched a boy in a terrible manner in the public toilets? How can you forgive someone that is on death row because he/she was a serial killer?
Or let’s be more closer to home, how can we not be offended when someone driving cuts you and causes you to nearly hit them on the road? Or they do something totally illegal and drives you nuts on the road?
I’ve tried to bless them when people cut me on the roads. It’s a hard task.
But a task one cannot do alone. I still struggle with giving compassion, being humble, loving one another, being like-minded and conflict-free, even sympathetic. All very difficult tasks to do.
And that’s why we need grace from God.
When we are blessed with grace, and when we truly learn the meaning of grace,
it becomes a natural habit of a believer. Our characters demonstrate that we have grace, and we give grace to those around.
And what exactly IS grace?
Well after some research, according to the bible it has said that:
- grace and mercy go hand in hand.
- grace and justification are linked. (I’ve always remembered justification as “just as if I’ve never sinned”)
- grace is opposite of wages (something to be earned); debt (through owing someone); reward (as a prize to be won); and boasting.
- grace also has no connection to works either.
I think I personally need to work on that.
But I know I can only do as what the verse says with God’s help and grace.
But one step at a time, I think.
How about you?
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
I read this verse and I totally wanted to write a devo reflection on it. My reason being is this. It’s very easy to read it and be all “That’s fine. That’s easy. I can do that.” then you close your bible and forget about that verse.
Can we actually be like-minded? All agreeing and not disagreeing on things. No conflicts?
Can we be sympathetic? What about sympathizing with someone that struggles with something? Or is still mourning the loss over someone after so many months/years, but we get annoyed and just want them to snap out of it?
Can we still love one another when they’ve betrayed you and you’re having a hard time forgiving them? How about that person that totally and utterly annoys you or offends you so much you want to just disregard this person exists?
How about being compassionate? Can we show compassion to that person who steps in to church that people naturally want to avoid, because maybe they smell, they’re on the edge of society, they’re not really sane, they’re homeless?
Or how can we be humble? As in not brag about how much we do at work, what latest gadget we have, how many figures we earn, etc etc.?
I’ll be honest here, it’s so difficult to not repay evil with evil. Because you automatically think evil will only accept evil ways. How else would it get to them? Like when someone punched your brother, and what do you want? justice--so then you go off in vengeance hunting down that someone.
Insults are thrown at you so you hurl insults back. The classic example is oh someone cursed to my face, let’s just answer back and curse back in response.
In a moment of frenzy it’s hard to control ones emotions. How can we stop that?
But it tells us we need to go the opposite way, to repay evil with blessings.
I find that hard.
And I know many do too.
Let’s be more reasonable here. It’s ok to forgive someone for saying something bad to you. But how can you forgive that crazy man who touched a boy in a terrible manner in the public toilets? How can you forgive someone that is on death row because he/she was a serial killer?
Or let’s be more closer to home, how can we not be offended when someone driving cuts you and causes you to nearly hit them on the road? Or they do something totally illegal and drives you nuts on the road?
I’ve tried to bless them when people cut me on the roads. It’s a hard task.
But a task one cannot do alone. I still struggle with giving compassion, being humble, loving one another, being like-minded and conflict-free, even sympathetic. All very difficult tasks to do.
And that’s why we need grace from God.
When we are blessed with grace, and when we truly learn the meaning of grace,
it becomes a natural habit of a believer. Our characters demonstrate that we have grace, and we give grace to those around.
And what exactly IS grace?
Well after some research, according to the bible it has said that:
- grace and mercy go hand in hand.
- grace and justification are linked. (I’ve always remembered justification as “just as if I’ve never sinned”)
- grace is opposite of wages (something to be earned); debt (through owing someone); reward (as a prize to be won); and boasting.
- grace also has no connection to works either.
I think I personally need to work on that.
But I know I can only do as what the verse says with God’s help and grace.
But one step at a time, I think.
How about you?
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