This week’s devotions are based on Week 3 of Building Together: “Together is Tough!” (WATCH HERE)
1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
It is easy to see people through labels. We notice the person who is difficult. The person who is opinionated. The person who talks too much. The person who never seems to help. The person who hurt us. The person who sees things differently than we do.
We can begin to define people by the thing that bothers us most about them.
But the cross gives us a different way to see people.
Peter reminds us that Christ died “for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous.” That little phrase puts all of us on level ground. There is no category here for the people who need more grace and the people who need less. There are only sinners who need a Savior and a Savior who gave Himself for sinners.
That includes you. And it includes the person who is difficult for you.
Galatians 3:26 says, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Paul goes on to remind us that those who have been baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. Our identity is not ultimately determined by our personality, our background, our accomplishments, our failures, or our differences. Our deepest identity is found in Christ.
Think about a family gathered around a dinner table. Every person at the table may be different. One may be quiet. Another may be loud. One may be organized. Another may be spontaneous. One may have strong opinions. Another may avoid conflict. They may disagree about plenty of things, but they are still family.
The same is true of God’s family.
The church is not a gathering of people who naturally fit together. It is a gathering of sinners who have been brought together by Jesus. Christ did not die only for the people who are easy to love. He died for difficult people too. He died for people who disappoint us. He died for people who disagree with us. He died for people who sometimes get on our nerves.
And He died for us when we were difficult too.
That changes how we look at one another.
The next time someone frustrates you, try seeing them through the cross. Before you see their irritating habit, see a person Christ loved. Before you see their mistake, see someone for whom Jesus shed His blood. Before you decide what they deserve, remember what Christ has given you.
This does not mean pretending that hurtful behavior is acceptable or avoiding necessary conversations. Christian love can speak the truth. But it speaks the truth remembering that the person standing across from us is someone God desires to redeem, restore, and draw closer to Himself.
The people who make life together tough are also people Christ died for.
And so am I.
Reflect: Who is someone you have been tempted to define by their faults or the way they have treated you? How might remembering that Christ died for that person change the way you speak to or think about them?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for dying for me, an undeserving sinner. Forgive me for the times I have looked down on others, judged them by their faults, or forgotten that they are people You love. Help me see others through the cross. Give me patience when people frustrate me, courage to speak the truth when it is needed, and compassion to remember that every person needs Your grace just as I do. Help us live together as Your forgiven family. Amen.