Deepen Your Personal Relationship with the Lord

Read 1 Peter 3:8-22
Title in NIV: Suffering for doing good.

Apply this list of qualities and make this your legacy. Make these qualities what people remember about you.
* live in harmony with one another
* be sympathetic
* love as brothers
* be compassionate
* be humble
* do not repay evil with evil
* do not repay insult with insult
* repay every one with blessings
* keep tongue from evil
* seek peace and pursue it
* turn from evil
* do good

In doing these things you will inherit a blessing from the Lord (eternal life) and you will be a blessing to others, too.

Vs 13 basically says you won't have any enemies if you are eager to do good. And, even if you do suffer for doing right, you will be blessed. Sometimes people do not understand your motives and will be offended even when you are doing a good deed. That is okay! If you are serving the Lord, do not be frightened of what man can do. If you have a clear conscience about your motives and actions, be content.

Vs 15. One day I thought about this verse. I wondered if I was prepared to give an answer to someone about the hope I have. I took pen and bible in hand and wrote my answers for hoping and trusting in the Lord. This answer will be a little different for every one. I challenge you to answer these questions and be ready:
* Why do you have hope?
* Why do you believe in God?
* Why to you have the peace you have? (assuming you have peace in Jesus Christ)
* How can you have joy in loss? (assuming you have joy that is in all situations)

Vs. 20. Noah was saved through water (literally). Even though he did not understand fully, he obeyed and did not allow any negative darts to penetrate his armor. He had a clear conscience toward God and only he and his family were saved. We are told to pledge our good conscience to the Lord through water, also. It is called baptism. If we are truly God's child we will want to please him, obey him, submit to him, serve him and be in good standing with him. I think of a relationship between a woman and a man. At some point it is time to get married or break-up. If they get married they pledge their lives to each other for as long as they live. At some point in our relationship with God we will want to pledge our life to him, too. That pledge of faith and commitment is baptism. It is a very personal experience between man and God; not admittance into a church.

Have a blessed day. Go out and be a blessing to someone today. Grow in your personal relationship with Christ.