Week 5:
1 Peter 3:8-12
"Pursue Peace with Doves and Dragons"
This lesson focuses on loving those in the body of Christ so that there will be harmony in the church. I enjoyed this quote from the introduction to the lesson:
"Peter can help us overcome our indiviualistic tendencies if we learn to emulate the beautiful pictures he paints of ideal churches. The more churches look like this picture, the more they will produce healthy Christians and the brighter the churches will shine for Jesus in the world."
I also appreciated how this lesson broke down each quality of the ideal church. According to 1 Peter, a church that pleases God and fulfills its mission is one that:
- Lives in harmony with one another.
- Is sympathetic to others in the faith family
- Loves fellow believers
- Is humble
The four qualities of the ideal church are harmony, sympathy, love, and humility. Which of the four is most challenging for you? Based on what you learned this week, what can you do to improve in this area?
I think we all struggle with humility in some way. We want to feel valued and important in what we do, even when serving in the church. But true service to Christ is best achieved when you are only working for Him and for His glory. I have learned that even things such as shyness and being intimidated can be a source of pride. Pride has many different forms; therefore, humility is a struggle for many, including me.
One way to improve in this area is just to study the Word. Christ is the ultimate example of humility, and He had to endure way more than I will ever have to endure. When you study Scripture, your focus will be more on God, and you will be able to "do your work heartily as to the Lord, rather than for men." (Colossians 3:23)
Join me next week as we study 1 Peter 3:12 - 4:6: "Stand Strong When Wronged."
You can read my thoughts on previous weeks of this study here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
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