“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” 1 Pet. 3:8
Heavenly Father, you’ve written your Law, not just on the pages of the Bible, but also on the new heart you’ve given us (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10). In the coming months, may this portion of your will be written into our lives, with the indelible ink of grace.
What a beautiful picture—your people, (even before Jesus’ return), offering the watching world a culture of unity, sympathy, familial love, tender hearts, and humble minds. The Holy Spirit’s work can certainly come in many forms, but these 5 signs of Gospel-renewal would “rock-and-shock” our current graceless culture.
Father, how in the world (your world) did we become so on-edge, in-your-face, out-of-fear reactionary? When did we trade kindness for curtness, listening for labeling, and compassion for canceling?
When he wrote these words, Peter’s world was much more difficult for believers to navigate than ours. Nero would soon burn Rome, and blame Christians. Believers were the insignificant minority, easy targets, and culturally irrelevant.
Into the young, vulnerable church, you were welcoming people from all nations, any skin color, contradictory worldviews—the religious and ill-religious. And you made it clear, they (and we) were/are called to love as Jesus loves, forgive as you forgive, and grow Spirit-fruit—not emit flesh-work.
Have mercy on us, Father. Grant us repentant faith, Gospel-renewal, and bold love. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ tender and triumphant name.
