1 Peter 3:8-9
Here on God’s Daytimer we are continuing to look at 1 Peter and contemplate the challenge that Peter sets before us to live good lives. Here is the verse for today:
1 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
In today’s verse Peter is exhorting us to live in harmony with one another. He then proceeds to give us a number of ideas to follow through with the idea. He encourages us to be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate, be humble, and to extend mercy. We will look at these ideas in the next few devotionals. Today let’s consider what it means to be sympathetic.
I beleive that all of us have a deep desire to be understood. When we take time to try and understand another person, we are being sympathetic. We don’t have to agree with them, we just need to try and understand where they are coming from. I think the best way to do that is to be a good listener. We need to listen without thinking about what we will say when it is our turn. James called it being quick to listen:
James 1:19 (NIV)
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
If we are quick to listen, and slow to speak, we will be slow to become angry and we will be much more sympathetic to what others are feeling. Think about how you might be a better listener today and show someone that you care about what they are going through. As you do, you will be blessed!
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