Peace

This week we begin worship with:

1 Peter 3:8

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Covey, who wrote "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", said in one of those famous habits "Begin with the end in mind".  We laugh at people who paint themselves into a corner having not done just that, but do we really start each day with a goal set and a plan to achieve it?

Peter in our verse today gives us the goal we should set for every interaction we have with people.  He quotes it from (Psalms 34:12-14):

1 Peter 3:10-11

For

“Whoever desires to love life

    and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil

    and his lips from speaking deceit;

let him turn away from evil and do good;

    let him seek peace and pursue it.

Our goal should be peace.  

But do we sympathize sufficiently to understand the other person's point of view?  Are we concerned more about them, than whatever we will have to postpone or forgo to love them in the moment?  Is our heart tender enough and our mind humble enough that being right is not important?

Zechariah at the birth of his son John, prophesied that John would prepare our Savior's way and that our Savior would "guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:76-79).  Let that be our prayer that we follow.