Day 28: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Stephen Decker
Unity
Scripture: Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9 NRSVUE)
Devotion: In Texas, we love sports, especially football. I will wear burnt orange every Saturday in the fall, and I know that the Longhorns have won the conference championship in Men’s Swimming and Diving for over 40 years running. I played sports in high school, along with being in plays. One thing that made a huge difference on a field or on a stage was being able to move together.
That is what I feel when I read these verses. Being of one mind, not that we all have the same role or responsibility. We are not fish in a school, but we are on the same team and have a common goal. To be on that same team, we have to live with each other for years and decades. To build a church and to be God’s people, we have to be moving in the same direction.
Not only that, we have to do it gently. There will be times when we hurt each other. When that happens, we have to not repay pain with pain, but with a blessing. We have to look out for one another. It is our call to give blessings in response to injury. And that is not something I want to do. I want to be like the majority of the world and be kind to those I like and spit back when spat upon. That is what I would do naturally.
But when God is allowed to work in me, through me, I act a little more just. And I spit a little less. And hopefully, the world will be a little more blessed.
Prayer: O God, Keep me mindful of your will. Help me see the blessings others give. And help me be a blessing to those who need it most. Amen
AW
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