We live in a world where truth seems undefined, or at least debatable. So…if we knew how to think correctly we would know how to understand truth.

Peter wrote to letters which we include in the Bible as 1 and 2 Peter. In 2 Peter 3:1, he writes, “This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory.”

You can’t talk about thinking right and not talk about other people and the relationships we have. How do we think about people we like or don’t like? How do we think about people we know or don’t know? What do we think about people groups that we understand or don’t understand?

The first thing we need to admit is that we have an internal conversation going about others…based on our observations, what we’ve heard, and what we think. Are we usually right? And could we be wrong?

1 Peter 2 and 3 Peter brings us into the relationships of the family of believers.

“Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.” – 1 Peter 2:17

Then he goes on to talk about slaves, wives, husbands even elders and witnesses! Slaves were coming to faith, wives were coming to faith, husbands too and they were in relationship with others who had not yet come to faith. Thus he reminds them that their ability to live lives of submission and to be respectful will bring credibility to their witness. Slaves – be respectful, wives your godly lives will speak to him, husbands your being an equal partner is God’s gift of a new life.

So what does showing respect mean to us? (1 Peter 2:7)

“8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.[a] Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing”

How do these verses help us understand “right thinking” about others? Since we cannot separate The Gospel from relationships, we need to think right about others…

The current advice – if you can be anything, be kind, seems wise for living and for being a witness to the faith! If I scan the stories of Jesus I see His particular concern and attention to those who are in greatest need. And surely that must inform how we see people, and how we value others?

We know that doing good deeds builds goodwill which gives us the ability to share the good news. And is that true of our lives? The Bible says that Jesus went about doing good – He understood that too. So how might that affect our relationships?

Then Peter moves on to fellow elders and witnesses? Be Shepherds he tells them…

I don’t know much about shepherds but I know the difference between cowboys and shepherds. Cowboys drive the cattle, and shepherds lead the sheep. I like the image of being led more than being driven. I mean who likes to be driven by someone else? But being led implies that they are walking ahead and Jesus does indicate that His sheep follow because they hear and know His voice.

It was just before the arrest of Jesus that he gathered HIs disciples around the table for the Passover meal and washed their feet – the task of the servant – and in doing so He tells them that He is doing this to set an example with them. This scene described more fully in John 13 calls us to have the posture of service and humility towards others.

1 Samuel 15:10-12 records a sorrowful moment in the life of King Saul. Hailed as a great man with a great spirit his ego gets the better of him and here is what is recorded.

“Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night. Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

It’s easy to set up a monument to ourselves. We usually think rather well of ourselves….especially when we get to compare ourselves to others.

Jesus had a similar observation.

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.”

They have their reward – self-praise is easy. But if I’m going move towards right thinking it appears that I cannot have an engaged ego that seeks self-praise, I must indeed have a servant’s heart and eye to serve others and an attitude of the shepherd caring for others and setting an example of respect for each other.

In one of the leadership development courses I took, we talked about UPR – unconditional positive regard towards others. I remember thinking at the time that this should not be a great surprise to Christian leaders. This should be part of our DNA – it is certainly the call of The Gospel.