NO RETURNS
1 Peter 3:8-12 NKJV
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For
"He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
These five verses provide some powerful and clear directives for living this Christian life. I believe that in the days we are living in, if the Church of Jesus Christ will practice these instructions, we'll make a difference in an increasingly hostile environment.
As believers, we are called to treat one another and all people differently. Just think how things would be if we treated each other with compassion, brotherly love, with a tender heart and courtesy? It would create revolutionary environments. People would kill to be a part of something like that. Well, maybe 'kill' is not the best word, but this kind of community would be extremely attractive.
And Peter continues with the ways we are to act. We are not to return evil for evil or reviling for reviling. We don't use the word reviling as much today, but it means rude expressions intended to offend or hurt. There's a whole lot of reviling going on in social media. People may not be reviling with their vocal cords, but they are with their posts. Written or verbal, an expression intended to offend or hurt is still out of bounds for believers.
So then, how shall we live? We live blessing others. And those blessings are intended for those who have offended or hurt us. If we are going to have the last word, it needs to be a good word. And here is the kicker. We are called to inherit blessings. God's plan for us is blessings. Verse 10 says, if we love life and want to see good days, we have to watch our mouths. What does our mouth have to do with the blessings of God? Evidently, a great deal. And Peter is not finished.
Not only are we watching our mouths, but we also have to watch our lives. Turning away from evil and doing good. Seeking peace and pursuing it. If all this sounds restrictive, remember that Peter wrote to these believers, reminding them of who they were. That they were born again of the eternal seed of God's Word. That they were a chosen generation, royal priests, a holy nation. That they were God's own special people who proclaim and display the praises of God. The God who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. You can see where I am going here. We live this way, not returning evil, not returning rudeness for rudeness, because we are not the same people that we used to be. We are God's own people, and we reflect the strength and goodness of the God who called us and has blessed us in Christ.
God's eyes are on us, and His ears are open to our prayers. But His face is turned away from those who do evil. I want God's eyes on me. I need the confidence that God hears my prayers. So how I act and speak goes a long way toward creating that personal environment in my life.
We are all called to live differently because we are different. We are called to a higher standard because we are a part of a spiritually higher-class family, citizens of a superior kingdom. God's plan for us is good. What He has done in us is good. So we can speak and act with goodness towards others. We are called to inherit a blessing, so we live in line with that calling.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for what You have done in me and for me. Thank You that I am on Your winning team, part of Your life-giving family. So I can bless and treat Your family with compassion and kindness.