1 Peter 3:8-12
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
Daily Devotion
by Morgan Seagraves
This passage was a good reminder for me as we head into the craziness that is the Christmas season. This time of year tends to be stressful for me, as I barely have time to charge my introvert battery before it’s time for another holiday gathering. On top of that, there is still work to be done, presents to buy, extra traffic to navigate, and fewer daylight hours than I would like. Even for the most cheerful Christmas elf, it can be a lot. Times of high stress can lead to a struggle to act the way I know I should toward other people. I know I am not alone in having this reaction to stress, but
passages like this can be a good reminder to all of us just how we should be treating one another.
We should be unified, compassionate, loving, and courteous. We should not repay evil with more evil, or yell at those who yell at us (road rage, anyone?). We should bless others, love life, keep
ourselves from speaking evil, or with slyness, keep away from evil, do good, and seek peace. I don’t know about you, but when I’m having a bad day or can’t figure out how to respond to a stressful situation, that list looks to me like a pretty good place to start.
I want to live a righteous life, pleasing to God. Sometimes, I just need to be reminded of that goal. As we move into one of the busiest times of the year, let’s not forget to keep God first in our day and to do our best to act righteously, no matter how many parties there are to prep for or how many family members we have coming to stay with us in a few short weeks.