Monday, September 5
Four virtues
Scripture: 1 Peter 3
1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers.
1 Peter 3:15–16 But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.
Observation
Peter commands husbands to treat their wives with consideration and show them honor. Later, he commands all believers to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about our hope, but do it with courtesy and respect.
Consideration, honor, courtesy, respect.
That’s how we all want to be treated; it’s how we are to treat others and speak to them.
Application
Consideration, honor, courtesy, respect.
These have fallen into disfavor. Think of our political climate—if you treated your political opponents this way, you’d be seen as weak and shown the door by voters. We reward the opposite. And our political culture has poisoned the larger social pool. Toxic honesty is rewarded, not consideration and honor. Meanness is celebrated, not courtesy and respect.
Marriages thrive on consideration and honor. Evangelism is made effective by courtesy and respect. And all relationships are lubricated by these qualities and improve because of them.
So today, with God’s help I want to treat everyone I meet with consideration, honor, courtesy and respect. And maybe they’ll ask me about the hope I have.
Prayer: Lord, I love You. Help me to treat others the way I want to be treated—with consideration, honor, courtesy and respect.
More: Isaiah 7-8, Hebrews 4