How Do I Live for God in Difficult Times?
The book of 1 Peter was written to believers who had lost everything. In verse 1 of chapter 1, we are told:
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen” (1 Peter 1:1, NASB95)
These believers were scattered throughout the region. The book of Acts tells us that the scattering was due to persecution. Many of the families left without belongings and many also left without their entire family as some stayed behind, others were killed or wounded, and others fled in different directions. Peter wrote this letter to be circulated between these groups of people for the purpose of encouraging them and challenging them to remain faithful.
After reminding his readers of the amazing grace they had been shown in the gospel, Peter next moved to tell them how to live out their faith in the midst of the difficulties they had experienced:
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘“You shall be holy, for I am holy.”” (1 Peter 1:13-16, NASB95)
While the English translation of this passage seems to make this seem like just a series of commands given with machinegun like repetition, there are actually only two commands here with some explanation given to each command. The two commands are “fix your hope” or literally translated, “hope!” And “Be holy!” Before you think that Peter was just telling people to behave themselves, which is surely part ofthe command, he told them so much more.
First, he told them the way to protect your hope in the midst of struggle is to “prepare your minds for action.” What does this mean? The single word translated into all of these words in English means to gird up one’s loins for movement, work, running, or action. When people lived in the desert and wore long, flowing robes to protect them from the harmful effects of sun, the robes would get in the way of running, working, fighting, etc. In order to prepare themselves to do any of these things, they would have reach down between their legs, pull up the hem of their robe, tuck it in the belt, and then they would be ready to move without being encumbered. Peter told his readers to metaphorically do this with their minds. They were to prepare their minds for action so that they would be more able to hope in the future, trust in God, and move where God told them go to without hesitation.
Additionally, Peter told them to be sober. While the word can mean not to be drunk, high, or influenced by drugs or alcohol, it means so much more than that. It literally means to be disconnected from any influence that would deaden our spiritual senses. One example of this would be an addiction to food. Many times, in the Bible, people went without food so that they could more effectively focus on their relationship with God. They disconnected themselves from food for a time to connect with God in its place. Paul suggested that even married couples might disconnect from physical intimacy for a time to focus on their relationship to God, but not for too long or they would fall into temptation (1 Corinthians 7).
Lastly, he gave them the final command, “Be holy!” Let a concern for the reputation of God and the testimony of His church be the determining factor of how you live for God, even when, or especially when the heat is on not to. We must be holy because God is holy and we want to be like Him and we must be holy because He said to be.
How do we live for God in difficult times? Be prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually to obey by focusing on the grace we have already received and will realize at the coming of Christ (which could be any day), and live out that reality through a difference between us and the unsaved world around us. We disconnect from those things that threaten our faith and testimony and dedicate ourselves to living holy like the One Who saved us and told us to do so.