Reading: Preseason workouts are difficult in many programs for one reason – to give you a greater chance of winning. Anyone that has gone through those workouts for a period of time with the team knows how the grueling day-after-day, muscle-aching early mornings brings a team together into one unit. 

Peter had just finished talking about suffering and fiery trials – pursuing obedience to God and the purification that comes from it because of that obedience – and now he is talking about us all coming together because of it as well. Isn’t that what happens when we go through tough things and stick together through it? If we stay the course, we come together and begin to have a heart for each other because we share that common memory.

Paul, the writer of Romans, says in his letter something similar, “…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

However, it’s way more than the trial that brings Christians together – it is the word of God. Peter encourages us with this word - that God’s word can’t fail and no matter what trial comes our way, we will come through it together because it has been ordained by the God over all creation.

Many endeavors in this world are susceptible to failure because of the nature of them. Baseball programs have come and gone, nations have crumbled, large companies have gone bankrupt, but the church will endure because its seed is God’s word. 

Peter has one thing in this passage for us to work on, and that’s our love for one another. He says that we have a heart for one another but to go further, to “love one another deeply, from the heart.” 

It’s easy to put on a jersey and compete every day or go through workouts when you love the guys you are competing with. The only thing that is wrong with that picture and most of the world’s perspective of love is that people think it’s the other person’s job to be lovable so that they will be loved. However, 1 John says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Do we need to walk through scripture to highlight all of the ways we have been deeply unlovable to God? That’s not necessary.

The point is that love is much more of a choice and action than an affection. We must press even further through suffering by choosing to love one another in a deeper way – even the people that we don’t necessarily believe are lovable. The trials in the Christian walk will produce a heart for one another, but Peter is encouraging us to go even deeper into that sacrifice for each other. 

Like on a baseball team – you will definitely love the guys that are like yourself. You might have a heart for your whole team. But Peter calls you to go even further – to love those outside your circle right now – into your school, work, and community – because there is work to do until God calls us all home.

Reflection: Who are three people that you see frequently that you could step out and have a heart for?

Prayer Prompt: Father, you are such a great God. You are full of love and so is your Son. Make me more like Jesus. He loved the unloved. I often take the easy road and love the people that are easy for me to love. Give me a deeper heart for others and mold me into the image of Christ – for me to sacrificially give my life away for you and others.