Evening

December 3

1 Peter 1:13-16 ¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Because God has orchestrated your salvation through the wonder of the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, prepare your minds for action! If He went to all that effort to save you, He must have something for you to do. Of course, He desires a relationship with you above all else, but relationship results in actions. Start preparing your mind for the work of infiltrating the world as an agent of Almighty God.

Be self-controlled. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. Let that fruit come to fruition in your life. Once you realize what important assignments God has for you, you will want to be disciplined as you prepare for them. We aren't just laboring for a worldly empire, but for the Lord of all. Get it together! Stop fooling around. This is serious business. Formerly we conformed to our evil desires. There is no time for that anymore.

Your hope should be placed on the grace that will be lavished on you when Jesus appears in glory. With your eyes fixed on that day, live a holy life. That means a life that is set apart for His purposes. He is the standard. He is holy, and that is why we should be holy in everything we do. Be holy in your thoughts and the way your time is spent. Be holy in your desires and aspirations. He is worthy of that response.

Consider: Are my thought life and self-discipline reflecting the high calling I have in Christ?