TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read: 1 Peter 3:8-17
Listen: 1 Peter 3
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Peter writes to a group suffering, and things aren’t going to get better. Historical records show that the persecution is only ramping up. Yet, amid this, Peter calls them toward gentleness and respect in the way they talk about God. He tells them not to meet evil or insult with a similar response, but instead to bless the very people hurting them. Pastor John Dickson calls it the humility to lose well.
Confidence in Jesus frees us to relax about losing. We can trust God. Christians are the death and resurrection people. It’s through Jesus’s death on the cross and his resurrection that we have life. It’s ok if it looks like we’re losing because God is in the business of taking painful losses and raising them up into wins. It is likely the pushiness of Christians at times is a result of our insecurity. Some feel like we need to defend God at every instance. This passage doesn’t call us to do that, but instead to be loving. It’s like our love is what will actually prove the truth of Jesus to others.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Pray for forgiveness for the times Christians have been pushy, aggressive and treated others poorly thinking we were helping God. Ask God to help you see the times you may have done that with family members, co-workers, teammates or friends. Thank him for his forgiveness through the work of Jesus on the cross. Pray for the confidence to cheerfully lose and to trust God to take care of it in the end.
2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.
January is BIBLE READING. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
