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. ⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

1 Peter 3:8-9

Dear God, my wife and I were talking over breakfast this morning about some hurts in our lives and how we have responded to them. How we have healed and are still healing from them. Part of it is what Peter is talking about here. Not just forgiveness, but sympathizing with the person who hurt me. Loving them. Being tenderhearted towards them. Being humble myself. Don’t retaliate in action or in words, but care for them instead. Bless them instead.

And it’s not only for their sake. It’s for my sake too. It’s for my wife’s sake. We need to do these things so we can be healthy. Some of the most unhappy people I know are those who do not follow what Peter is teaching here. What Jesus taught Peter. That’s one reason I don’t understand the image a lot of people have of the Jesus of Revelation coming to just lay waste to people. As if you’ve been holding back your anger all this time and just stuffing it down. As if you’re waiting to explode on us. No, that’s not you. The blood on Jesus in Revelation is his own blood. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That includes Revelation. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. That includes Genesis to Revelation. You long for us. And if you are calling us to treat those who are bad to us in this way, how much more do you do that yourself?

Father, thank you for the freedom to turn loose of my hate. Thank you that you have given me so much love that I don’t feel like I have to conserve my own love for myself, but I can share it with others. Yes, sometimes I fail. Sometimes I return an insult with an insult. Sometimes I return mockery with mockery. I’m sorry for those times. I’m grateful those times are fewer and fewer in my life. But continue to purify my heart. I offer it and all of my rights to you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen