Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 1 Peter 3:8

I was looking up the words "One Mind" in the Greek, and found it to be a compound word, the first part meaning "same," "one," or "unity," the second part means, laterally "sympathy." So the phrase is literally all of you have unity in sympathy. If we are sympathetic with those individuals with whom we have a relationship what does this mean?

Paul writes in Romans 12:15 & 16, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."

Lets examine this, what does it mean to be sympathetic? Have you ever seen a singer sing out a note that shatters a glass? Memorex used this as an advertising gimmick a few years ago. The singers voice causes there to be a sympathetic vibration in the glass causing it to shatter. The glass is ridged and brittle and so shatters.

But we are to be malleable, moved with sympathy toward those who are rejoicing and those who are hurting. . Notice Paul says be of one mind, in this case the word for mind means "sentiment" or "opinion," "to interest oneself in with concern. "

The highest art in dominoes lies in matching your companion's pieces. Is he glad? It's a great thing to be able to rejoice with those who rejoice. Is he sad? It is a great thing to be able to weep with those who weep. It means, of course, that if you answer the challenge every time, it won't be long before your dominoes are gone. But it is worth remembering that victory in dominoes does not lie in accumulation, but in exhaustion. The player who is left with empty hands wins everything.

Paul also says, "Do not set your mind on high things." The New International Version says simply "do not be conceited." If we are so caught up in our own opinion, our conceit, we cannot be have a unity in sympathy.

Gary Smalley tells of a time when he accidently ran over the family cat while everyone was in the car. His wife went and locked herself in their bed room. His kids all went to their rooms to mourn. And it was evident to Gary that everyone else blamed him for the death of the cat. Now he could have reacted one way. "Hay, I didn’t make that cat run under the car tire." He could have stood kicking the bed room door, "you want to lock me out of my bed room? Fine, don’t look for me to be around here anymore." He could have stormed out of the house and stayed the night in a motel and sent for his clothing in the morning. After all, they were not being sympathetic with him. But, he was gentle and sympathetic. He went to each member of his family and was sympathetic, he wept with them and hugged them to help them through this crisis. A while later he found the bed room door unlocked and he went in and knelt beside his wife and just tried to weep with her. She looked at him and said, "I know you didn’t mean to murder puff." He could have let that hurt him, too. But he just held his wife and soon the family was back to normal. Our attitudes and actions can make the difference between healing the other or tearing them apart.

Be united in sympathy