1st Peter 1 - Prepare for action

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action" (1 Peter 1:13)

A more literal translation of this verse is "girded up the loins of your mind." (Darby) There is a difference between our minds and our emotions; one is reactive and one proactive, one is led and one leads. God is calling us to be people of action, not led around by emotions or circumstances, but led around by what we know, think, believe, and choose. In our Christian life we all face difficult times, decisions, and temptations. God is calling us to prepare our minds now for those difficult times yet to come.  It is said of those who overcame that "they did not love their life even when faced with death." (Revelation 12:11) However, the time to choose to "not love your life" is not when you are facing death. it is now! Now we must choose how we will respond then, now we must make the decisions that we will face in the future. Now we must prepare our minds so that, when difficulty comes, and it will, we will be mentally prepared and ready to choose for God and for His Kingdom.

"keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13)

Again, Darby translates this as, "[be] sober [and] hope with perfect stedfastness" (Darby) This should be the manor of our lives: sobriety as we face our todays and hope as we face our tomorrows. Each day calls for its own special attention and we are to live each day with care and watchfulness. The opposite of sobriety is dissipation, of which the whole world runs after. Jesus warns us against such a life, "Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap." (Luke 21:34) We must live a life of sobriety with constant watchfulness and circumspection let we too fall into the trap of the world and wander far from the Kingdom of God. Along with sobriety for today, we need hope for tomorrow. Jesus taught us to, "not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34) While we take care of today we have hope for tomorrow. This hope is not a "wishing" hope but a hope that is founded in the Lord. It is a hope that is founded in the belief that one day He will return for us. In that day all will be put right, sin will be banished, and righteousness will reign. This is the day we hope for, the day of His return. This is the hope that enables us to live our todays.

David Robison