8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, sympathetic, lovers of your fellow believers, compassionate, and modest in your opinion of yourselves. 9 Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing.
Reflection
Have you ever felt of one mind with someone else? Maybe it was your partner, a friend, a coworker. That feeling that you both tapped into the same thought wave. Perhaps it was a particularly good dinner party with flowing conversation, or a work visioning session where everyone seems to be reaching for the same goal. Maybe it’s when you and the person you share your life with just seem to be so in tune with each other that you can predict their very movements.
These moments are magical, yet uncommon. We’re often far more focused on ourselves and struggle to think outwardly enough to fall into someone else’s wavelength. But when it happens, time seems to go by differently, and the issues of yesterday seem to not have the same hold today. And it’s moments like these, when we see how truly connected and alike we are to the people around us, that we find grace hidden like a small forgotten gift in the toe of a stocking. We can be more sympathetic to the differing opinions of others. We feel less of a draw to gossip because we’re too busy listening. We see no joy in causing harm to others, even when harm was caused to us.
It sounds too good to be true, but Christ would not have asked us to love our neighbors as ourselves if it wasn’t possible to. So hear Paul’s call this morning as an invitation to listen and tune into the wave that others are on.
You just might inherit a blessing.
by Rachel Callender
For Pondering & Prayer
Can you think of a time when you were met with the option to insult or bless? What was that thought process like? How can we set ourselves up to always choose to bless or insult?
Prayer: Beloved Christ, may we follow Your example of loving kindness and meet evil with blessings. May we see, hear, and love people just as You do. Amen.