1 Peter 3:8-12
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Be like-minded - Means to work together as a community, keep each other accountable, and have a common goal.

Be sympathetic -  Means to show understanding or pity for someone’s feelings

Love one another - Means to care deeply for other believers just because they belong to Jesus, not because of interests, natural friendship, race, age, sex, etc.

Be compassionate - Means to show concern for people, especially when they have less than you.

Be humble - Means to show a modest estimation of your own importance..

Then Peter quotes Psalm 34:
1 Peter 3:10-12
10 For,“Whoever would love life
 and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
 they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
 and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

These things that we take as obviously good things are incredbily hard to live out, but are incredibly powerful when we do live them out. They’re also not obviously good to everyone, and for a lot of these people that Peter is speaking to, they’re a shock to the system of anyone who experiences them.

1 Peter 3:13-22
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

For the most part, people are going to be blessed by the good you do, but even if they’re mad about it they’re probably just going to be confused that you repaid good for evil. But, even if you suffer for doing what’s right, it’s worth it! You’ll be blessed by God.

15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

So, be prepared to give a reason for the hope you have, BUT... Do it with Gentleness and Respect. But, doing these things are not just because they work, it’s because Christ modeled it for us:

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

We don’t respond with: sympathy, love, compassion, humility, goodness, gentleness, and respect simply because we’re good people, we do it because it reflects the gospel
to the people we come in contact with.