But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

Sweet friends, I hope you’re learning as much as I am this week about God’s design for us to live in community with one another.

So far we’ve explored how God designed us for community and how He’s unified us through the blood of Christ and the indwelling of Holy Spirit. Today I thought we’d look at 1 Peter 2:9-10 and start digging into practical application of what God’s Word teaches us about building strong communities and being healthy, helpful members of the community in which He has placed us.

In 1 Peter 2:9-10 we see another reminder that God has designed us for doing life together. God’s Word tells us in verse 9 that we are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession”. These identifiers are largely given in the plural – people means more than one, priesthood is a term that applies to a group, and nation is also more than one. We see too that we are His special possession and so God identifies as a collective, His people, but also as individuals, His special possession.

Reading on, we see that God has unified us as His people so that we can “declare His praises” because He has called us “out of darkness into His wonderful light”.

What’s the first way that we can be healthy, helpful members of a community?

As individuals, we can declare His praises. When we declare His praises, we point others toward Heaven and the love and provision of our Lord. It’s difficult to look at the flaws of others when our eyes are pointed upward and it’s difficult for them to look at our flaws when we’re directing their eyes upward. Want to get along better in your community?

Spend your time looking for and talking about the infinite ways that God is good and how He is showering His goodness on us every day (Philippians 4:8). Thinking on His goodness and sharing it will improve your mood and also how you are received and perceived by others.

Want to build a stronger community?

Encourage others to declare God’s praises and inspire them to focus on the good by doing so yourself.

Let’s look at one more part of verse 9 for today: “called you out of darkness into His wonderful light”.

Dear heart, whether you accepted Jesus as a child or an adult, God called you out of darkness. We were all in darkness at one time because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We have all been called out of darkness and into His wonderful light.

How does this help us become healthy, helpful members of our community?

It reminds us that we are not perfect, have never been perfect, and will not be perfect on this side of Heaven (Romans 3:10). Bearing this in mind, we are better able to accept one another, warts and all as my pastor would say, as members of the same community – a community of Believers rescued from darkness, called into God’s wonderful light.

We’re also reminded that we have been given much mercy and should show much mercy, but more on that tomorrow.

Father God, thank You for Your bountiful instruction on community. As Your children, we want to do life well together. Help me be a healthier, more helpful member of the community in which You have placed me. I want to be perceived and received positively as a member of Your royal priesthood, Your chosen people. I will do better Lord at looking upwards, at declaring Your praises and rejoicing with others as they declare Your goodness! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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