1 Peter 3:8 - Be of One Mind
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

By Marni Montanez

1 Peter 3:8

New King James Version (NKJV)

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

In some versions of the bible, In place of like-mindedness, it says, be harmonious and in place of be courteous is Be humble

It is well known that spending a significant amount of time with another person will bring about similarities within the two people.  They begin developing the same interests or beliefs and sometimes their behavior mirrors one another.   This is the same when we fellowship with God.  The more time we spend with Him, the more we imitate His characteristics.  Our minds are renewed and transformed into the mind of Christ.  We think more like Him walk deeper in the Spirit.  To be of one mind with others is to have a common goal; to follow and glorify the Lord with our obedience.  

We are to stand unified in the things of God. The church today does not possess the same unity as they had in the early church. We are more divided in our theology and agendas than ever before.  The problem with People creating their own agendas is that they are acting on their own fleshly impulses which does not allow for the power of God to move in and through their lives. . It is Satan's goal to bring division.  In division we cannot stand.  It is in letting go of our own agendas and seeking God’s will with all our hearts, that there is a true unity of mind and purpose.  God is our purpose and if we draw near to Him we will meet on common ground.  With unity the Holy Spirit can flow through our meetings with freedom and power. Our church services would be enriched with the presence of God.

This verse gives us directives that will draw us close to God and to each other in the spirit of compassion and love. In having compassion one for another, we are embracing the commitment to be involved in each other’s lives. This is when we are looking at one another with genuine concern.  Love sums up the Christian walk.  This is what we are attaining to do; to love one another as Christ loves His church.  We are to model the true nature of God by showing compassion and love.  God is asking us to lay down our single mindedness and be joined to others in Him as one in the Kingdom of God. 

In walking out His agenda we behave in a godly fashion with tenderhearted acts of true Christian character, being courteous one to another and putting other’s needs ahead of our own.  It also means to walk humbly with all reverence to God. 

It is extremely important for us to be like-minded.  Division makes us targets for the enemy. Being one minded with one purpose builds confidence and support among believers.  This closes the door to the spirit of strife and dissension and gives us a life of peace.  We must stand together and allow God’s work to weave throughout our lives. 

Challenge: see others as part of the same purpose and same agenda. We are here to glorify God.  

God bless

Marni

Go on to: 1 Peter 3:12 The Lord Watches
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lamb-rightThe purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.