A Letter to God's Elect - Part 2: Trained for Troubled Timesಮಾದರಿ

INTRODUCTION

Peter's letter addresses Jews who have fled Israel due to persecution. They are scattered across a vast region. There are Gentiles who have also come to faith. Many of them did not witness the death and resurrection of Jesus firsthand, and there are already distorted narratives of the event floating around. In Part 1 of this devotional, we saw that Peter reminds his readers in verses 1 to 12 that they all have an inheritance in Jesus, which is certain because it has been preserved by the power of God, proven pure through the trials they faced, and was predicted by the prophets of old. Peter, therefore, grounds everything in Scripture and encourages believers to hold on.

The above is also true for us. We have not witnessed Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, but we must hold onto the truth and preserve it through trials and testing so that our faith may be tested and proved more precious than pure gold.

However, since they are such privileged people, they must live a certain way. They must guard their minds, take a serious view of life, and put their hope only in Jesus. This is also relevant today; verses 13 to 25 tell us how.

The “Therefore” in verse 13 comes in the light of the above context. All this requires an appropriate response because there is something to look forward to in a future inheritance. Let us look at how Peter says we ought to conduct ourselves and what the characteristics of the believer are.

We have now reached the main point of the letter. Peter encourages the reader to be alert.

V.13 The Message puts it as “roll up your sleeves.”

The ESV – Set your minds for action.

NKJV -Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind.

Peter repeats this warning in 1 Pet.5:8: Be alert and of a sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Having an alert mind means being discerning, wise, and able to distinguish between good and evil. It allows you to be prepared for action and not be caught off guard. For example, you must be very alert when participating in a quiz, especially during the rapid-fire questions. We must maintain the same attitude because you never know what will be thrown at you; therefore, you must stay focused and block out distracting thoughts. (Rom 12:2)

What are some of the attacks on the mind?

To list a few:

Doubt: You can doubt God’s goodness, love, and faithfulness when you start questioning, “Why is this happening to me?” Instead, ask yourself, “Lord, what do you want me to learn in exercising my authority as your child, and what aspect of your character do you want me to understand more deeply?”

Temptation: We can be tempted to fulfil legitimate needs by illegitimate means. Another one is the temptation to entertain unwholesome thoughts toward our brothers and sisters, which can lead to strife and disunity, ultimately harming the body of Christ.

Fear: Sometimes, our imaginations can lead us to have imaginary fears of the future. We may exaggerate a situation, leading us to harbour fearful thoughts.

Critical judgment: We can be quick to judge others' motives, actions, and intentions because we perceive things through coloured lenses and filters that have been clogged with our life experiences. This leads us to make wrong value judgements about people and could cause strife and disunity, especially within the body of Christ.

What is the solution? Let's consider some things we, as Christ-followers, need to be mindful of to stand firm in trials of many kinds.

REFLECTIONS

• How can you stay alert in your thoughts and catch those thoughts that do not line up with scripture?
• Have you faced any of the attacks on the mind listed above?
• What does the concept of holiness mean to you?