Community Building || 1 Peter 3:8 || Manna for the Mind #108

Welcome to Day 108 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is 1 Peter 3:8. We’ll discuss what makes up a group of believers.

1 Peter 3:8

AMP	NLT	MSG
8 Finally, all of you be like-minded [united in spirit], sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted [courteous and compassionate toward each other as members of one household], and humble in spirit;	8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.	8 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble.

Peter lists five descriptors that should be the foundation for any community. The community should be of one mind, all pursuing the same goal. We might have different life paths, but we should love God with all of you, as we are, and love our neighbor as Jesus loved us. This unity in diversity is what makes our community a spiritual family. The community should be sympathetic and responsive to others’ needs. Our communities should be a place where we can be vulnerable and ask for help without judgment. Our community should love, see, and treat each other as brothers and sisters. Our community shouldn’t be divided based on race, social status, or other descriptors. Still, we should view each other as equals. Our communities should be tender, showing sensitivity and compassion to each other. The sensitivity and compassion open the vulnerabilities that allow us to grow together, share the burdens, and celebrate successes. The community should be humble and willing to encourage and rejoice in one another. Treat each other like humans, meet each other where they are, and walk with them through the hills and valleys of life, and you will find success. This sounds like a lot, and that we need to be perfect, but Paul speaks to this in Ephesians 4:2

Ephesians 4:2

AMP	NLT	MSG
2 with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love.	2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.	2  And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love,

No one will ever be perfect, so we must accept and love each other despite our faults. People will mess up, hurt others, and make others angry, but our response should be the healthy love that Jesus represented. When we see the faults of others, we need to be patient and gentle. We can discuss their behavior if we’re concerned, but it doesn’t mean we condemn them for it. Rather than dwelling on that person’s weaknesses or looking for faults, pray for him or her. Encourage them to turn from their sinful ways and walk with them in their journey. Do even more than what feels normal, and you commit the full love of Christ. Forgiveness is also part of love.

Ephesians 4:32

AMP	NLT	MSG
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.	32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave [a]you.	32 Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

Jesus taught this law of forgiveness in the Gospels. We also find it in the Lord’s prayer. God forgives us, not because we forgive others, but because he is merciful through and through. Those who don’t forgive others miss out on what it means to be Christlike. As we learn about his mercy, we’ll understand what it means for us and how we can forgive like Jesus. Our forgiving attitude toward others should stand out upside-down to the unforgiving spirit we often see. We get hurt or hurt someone else, doors close, lines cut, and the relationships remain unrepaired. Sometimes, they can’t be repaired, and that’s when we need to forgive ourselves. Yet, when they can, and they or we choose not to, we aren’t forgiving as Jesus did. We need to have tough conversations on the issues and work towards not making the relationship as it once was but allowing for a new way forward. The new way could be your acquaintances, who greet each other as you walk by or maybe have small talk. There’s no bitterness, no ill-intent, but respect and the love of Christ. The more we do this, the more others might catch on and forgive someone in their community. The butterfly effect creates the biggest community of believers yet. Forgiveness is the key to this transformation, unlocking the power of grace and the freedom it brings.

Father God, thank you for the gift of community. We know you didn’t create us to do life alone but together. You are the foundation of our community, guiding us, providing us with the strength to celebrate our highs, and helping us shoulder the burden when we are alone. Help us to embrace the communities we’re in, find the communities we need, and repair the communities we once had. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.