1 PETER 2:9-10 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

THEME OF THE DAY: ROYAL PROPERTY, HANDLE WITH CARE.   Have we ever been in relationships with other believers that were difficult?  Maybe severely strained because of a hurt, misunderstanding, or even sin? It might have been so serious that we allowed the relationship to be fractured or left at a distance.  There may even have been the ending of fellowship in a church over the relationship.   This happens a lot, and what can easily happen is gossip, unedifying speech, and treating Christians with attitudes that are anything but loving.

As a pastor for over twenty-four years, I sadly have witnessed this in the church of the Lord Jesus.  Hurt feelings, dislike of actions, preferences not practiced, and disagreements have damaged relationships causing church family ruptures. They leave the church and the people remaining are hurt and confused.  Too many people leave churches for wrong reasons, and difficult relationships with other believers is not one of them.  But there is something else far more serious in regard to how we treat other believers.

When we find ourselves in challenging relationships with other Christians, instead of thinking about it from our perspective, what about God’s?   We don’t like conflict, and too often relational conflict is resolved not biblically but by fleeing, which solves nothing.   We would honor the Lord in such relationships if we always saw them as He sees them and treat each other as He would have us.

In today’s scripture is the description of God’s people.  The terms are so encouraging – a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, God’s people, and receivers of mercy.  Fellow Christian, this defines us, and make sure you can say, “This defines me.”   But don’t stop there.  What about that Christian we are struggling with in a tough relationship?  These terms define that person too.  And we can take one word from the list that should cause us to pause when we want to say something unedifying about another Christian – royalty. That believer we are struggling with is royal property. He or she belongs to King Jesus and He never takes lightly how His children are treated or spoken about.

So, difficult relationships.  It is part of the fall of our first parents in the Garden of Eden.  However, God’s amazing grace enables us to fix broken relationships, and maintain them in love.  And it begins with realizing all Christians, yes, even the difficult ones, are royal property, bought by the blood of Jesus, and we are to treat them as such, regardless of their conduct, or even hurt inflicted upon us.

PRAYER: Father, help me to always remember that other believers are royalty and to treat them as such.

REFLECTION:  God takes it very seriously how we treat other Christians because they are His royal property.