Living Good Lives – Part 5

This newest series of messages on Internet Pastor is called “Living Good Lives”.

As we continue on in our study of 1 Peter and talk about living good lives, Peter gives us some excellent advice on getting along. He calls it living in harmony with one another, and then he goes on to tell us how to do it.

1 Peter 3:8-11 (NIV)
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do 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. 10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. 11 He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

1. Be sympathetic

Sympathy meets two basic human needs.

1. All of us have a need to be understood. You want somebody to understand you in life.

2. All of us have a need to feel like our feelings are OK. We want somebody to validate them. You can validate someone’s feelings without necessarily agreeing with their ideas. I may not feel that way but I validate your feelings. It’s not a matter of right or wrong.

How do I become sympathetic? Use your ears more than your mouth. Learn to listen.

James 1:19 (NIV)
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

2. Love as brothers

“Brotherly love” is about commitment, it is about loyalty. We don’t compete with each other, instead we compliment each other, we cooperate with each other.

Romans 12:10a (NIV)
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Circle “devoted”. It doesn’t mean that you agree on everything. You’re not. It means you’re loyal. If you had bothers and sisters growing up you know that with them you probably fought with them and said all sorts of things, but if somebody else were to attack your brother or sister then you’d get very defensive and you’d defend them.

3. Be compassionate

As sympathy is understanding someone’s feelings, compassion takes it one step further and demonstrates it in action. What can I do to help you?

1 John 3:18 (NIV)
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Compassion is saying with your actions, “How can I make life a little better for you? What can I do that will make your life a little bit easier?”

4. Be humble

What is humility? It is being honest with my weaknesses, my needs, my failures. Humility allows me to say, “I need your help.” Humility allows me to say “I was wrong”.

Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)
13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

5. Do not repay evil with evil

Instead of vengeance, we need to extend mercy.

Mercy is giving more kindness than justice demands. Rather that try and tear down the people who hurt us with our words, let’s try and pray for them and lift them up to God. We have to remember that God’s way is different than man’s way. The world’s way is get even, isn’t it? But God’s way is this,

Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

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