How to Play Well With Others

REFERENCE: I Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

Observation: Here Peter gives us the key to living in harmony with others:

1. Care about the others feelings. If it matters to them, love says it should matter to me as well--whether I fully understand it or not.

2. Really love them. Sincerely, from the heart we should want their best, not just our own.

3. Feel what they are feeling with them: put ourselves in their shoes and look at life as they do.

4. Be humble--not prideful. Pride says, "this is about me and how you disagree with me or have hurt me." Humility says, "this is about you, how I can understand, love and encourage you, even in our differences."

Application/Confession:  I can see where I have allowed division between myself and others, including Gloria because I have not practiced this simple verse. I have not been willing to really understand and feel with them. Consequently, I was not really humble and I ended up in conflict instead of harmony.

PRAYER:  God, please help me to always, always, always practice what this verse says. Teach me to really understand, care about and feel with those that I may find myself in conflict with. Teach me, all my life, to remain humble.