Psalm 77; Job 5:8-27; 1 Peter 3:8-18a
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
No exceptions.
It seems that we live in a world where we try to make exceptions to living the way that Peter describes here all the time. To seek to be agreeable, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble we are told simply do not work any more.
It’s a fascinating thing to me that many Christians will tell you that we ought not live by these principles because it means that “enemies” of the faith will win.
We have so lost our way that to live by these principles is something that is considered “weak.”
No exceptions.
There is not any wiggle room here. There’s no “…but politics” or “…but culture war.”
Nah, if I claim to follow Jesus I am to live this way, all the time, no exceptions.
If I am trying to make excuses or devise exceptions to live as one who is agreeable, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble then I need to take a good long look in the mirror.