Gird Up, Be Sober, and Hope

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

In the midst of persecution, Peter reminds these saints, and us, that in Christ we all have grace and peace. We are reminded that there is an inheritance waiting for us when we finally arrive home to be with Jesus. We can be certain of this because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and we are kept by His power and strength. Even in the midst of intense persecution and suffering we can rejoice with joy unspeakable, knowing that we have a great salvation that we must not only proclaim, but also be living examples for others to see. In today's verse, Peter begins to encourage them, and us, to live holy lives in the face of whatever suffering God allows. He tells us to prepare our minds. When a person girded themselves, they tied up any loose ends of their garments so that they would be able to run or defend themselves without being entangled. So we too must continually renew our minds with the Word of God, and through the power of God, in prayer, and take captive all empty and useless thoughts. The enemy loves to invade our thought life in order to create doubts about God and His truth. We must keep thoughts under control and be sober, meaning disciplined and self-controlled in our thinking. Rather than fill our minds with the garbage the world offers via the news and social media outlets, we need to fill our mind with God's truth. Peter reminds us that as we strive to live a holy life of obedience, we must continue to hope in the grace that will be brought to us at the coming, and return, of Jesus our Lord and Savior. Let us not be shaken and tempted to stray from holy living when tough times come upon us. Instead, let us keep our focus on Jesus and the wonderful salvation we enjoy; keeping our minds renewed and the hope of His return alive.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).