1–2 Peter: A 10-Day Devotional Reading PlanShembull

Be Sober-Minded Peter speaks strongly in verse 13 about our thought life. The original wording of his letter said, “Gird up the loins of your mind.” That seems just plain weird to us, doesn’t it? But it made sense to his original readers because of the clothes they wore. People in those days wore long robes, and when they had to move quickly, they’d tuck those robes into a belt around their waist to avoid tripping over the flowing fabric. That’s what Peter has in mind here. In the same way, people back then prepared for fast movement, they had to prepare their minds to stay focused on Christ. And the way they—and we—do this mental girding, this mental preparation, is through controlling their thought life, or, in Peter’s words, by “being sober-minded.” Reflection: In light of the importance Scripture places on our thoughts, discuss how our emotions factor in. When can emotions help our walk with God, and when might they be a hindrance?