1 Peter 2:18 - Live On

“Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.”

** These next few verses really compile one general thought. So I’m going to talk about each verse in consecutive days (in theory). Hopefully that will help us keep the overall thought in our minds. We’ll see how it goes!

Peter, always the practical one, doesn’t discuss the evils of slavery or gather his constituency to storm city hall and demand the abolishment of slavery. Knowing he could do nothing to change it, Peter taught his people how to deal with slavery in a Christ-like manner. You know, sometimes in our world we have to accept that things aren’t right and that life isn’t fair, and then live our lives according to God’s principals anyway. (And sometimes we need to work to make things better, while responding to the injustice in a Christ-like manner.)

Peter’s teaching on slavery falls right in line with his instruction on living under any authority: submit, respect, and do your best. Whether the master is good or bad – the Christian should act the same way. One cannot control how a superior treats you, but you can always control how you respond to your superiors.

We struggle with that in today’s culture. Too often we feel that if someone treats us poorly, that gives us the right to act anyway we want to. Instead of following the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” we follow the American Rule, “Do unto others as they have done unto you.” Do you know Christians who act that way (perhaps yourself…)? If someone talks bad about them, they fire right back and trash the other person to anyone who will listen. Or if they are treated unfairly, they will treat others unfairly. While it is very human to act that way, it is not Christian.

As a Christ follower, we never have an excuse to disrespect an authority figure or treat anyone – and I mean anyone – poorly. If all the Christians lived as Peter instructs, do you think the unbelieving world would take note?