1 Peter 3:10-12, “For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Right now, as you sit in your chair, God sees and loves you. Do you have a dream, plan, or desire that you had wanted, and it wasn’t fulfilled that has caused you disappointment? We have the promise and assurance from 1 Peter 3:12 that God sees it all. He sees when we are not treated fairly. He sees when you are doing your best to maintain and seek peace (verse 11) and pursue it and when you have failed to go that route. Look at Peter. He learned those lessons himself and was a prime example of stumbling, making mistakes due to his emotions, and yet known to be the leader amongst the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus. You are also a chosen one in Christ as a born-again Christian. Learn to be a leader by being aware of the risks of conflict before they happen and maintain your integrity by doing good as 1 Peter 3:11-12 NLV declares, “Turn away from what is sinful. Do what is good. Look for peace and go after it. The Lord watches over those who are right with Him. He hears their prayers. But the Lord is against those who sin.”
The word of God shows us the mind of Christ. Look into Jesus’s face. What words of Jesus come to your mind? One example is found in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
In 1 Peter 3:9, Peter warns, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” The word “reviling” I don’t hear customarily used today. The Oxford dictionary definition of “reviling” said to criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner.” Jesus had that happen to him on the cross. He suffered greatly for you and for me and endured much shame, yet Jesus maintained His authoritative control over His destiny as He died, rose again, and sits at God’s right hand. So now He not only hears your prayers but sees you and wants to bless you. We have that promise, “But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Who can you be a blessing to today? The next time someone criticizes you in an abusive or angrily insulting manner, or you want to give someone a piece of your mind, pause and don’t say anything just yet. Then quickly put on the mind of Christ. Speak words of blessing and ask God to bless your thoughts and comments. The eyes of the Lord are on you. As the Message states it this way, “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.” That is our full-time job that is always needed wherever we go with no exceptions – seek to be a blessing to others.
Listen to I Speak Jesus (Lyrics Video) Charity Gayle, Feat. Steven Musso.