Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren. Be pitiful, be courteous. 1 Peter 3:8
Because he uses the word ‘finally’ in our text, it appears that Peter is wrapping up his epistle. But he is not; the epistle goes on for another two and a half chapters. So why does he use the word ‘finally’? It is because he is wrapping up a particular topic within the epistle. The topic is the very important relationship between husbands and wives. Here in our text are five elements that are critical to that relationship.
The admonition to be of one mind is easy enough to understand. We have all seen marriages fail because the partners disagreed over too many things. Husbands and wives will almost always have different types of personalities, but they must agree on the things most important to themselves. That is why a Christian must never marry an unbeliever; they are already at odds on the most important matter in the world. Only by being of one mind can two people be happy together.
The second admonition, having compassion on one another also makes practical sense. Being nasty to each other will kill a marriage; being deeply caring for one another will enable any marriage to survive and thrive.
The third admonition reminds us that, for all of the many reasons we love our spouse, add this as a reason: your spouse is a Christian. When the Lord Jesus gave his disciples (and therefore to us) the commandment to love one another (John 13:34), He included those Christians who are married to each other. That means husbands and wives enjoy each other in spiritual matters, and exercise godly concern for each others’ spiritual welfare.
The last two admonitions are also very practical. Being pitiful just means being lovingly sweet and kind even when you think the other person might not deserve it. That will smooth over many a rough spot along the path of married life! So will being courteous to each other. Courtesy is a sign of respect, and we can show our respect to each other by using good manners and by being politely and gently considerate of each other.
The Bible has plenty of good advice to help us as Christians to preserve and grow our marriages. Our text is proof of that. – Jim MacIntosh