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 (NASB)
We are living in very troubled times. Peter’s admonition to the Believers in his first Epistle contains wisdom for us today. He tells Christians in cultural and political crisis to “prepare your minds for action.” Your mind is one aspect of what the Bible calls the heart; the place that your thoughts, beliefs, and desires originate.
To prepare your mind for action means to reign in your thinking and focus on things of God rather than being swayed and seduced by things of the world. First century Christians had the same problems we do twenty centuries later; we are easily distracted and knocked off course.
Peter reminds us that our thoughts are to be set on godly things, and we are to be so focused on the spiritual matters at hand that the things of the world hold little allure for us. We are responsible before the Lord to be ready to stand in the day of adversity (Ephesians 6:13). We are to be prepared to function as Christians when the hard days of trial and suffering come upon us. This involves training and disciplining ourselves to be spiritually strong when times are not as hard so that when the days of extreme tribulation arrive we are able to overcome the fearsome things we will be facing. In the days of persecution that are surely ahead of us we will need every memorized verse, every biblical principle, and every bit of godly wisdom we can have.
Because of this I am concerned about the relative lack of interest in spiritual growth I see among Christian women today. Most do not typically spend their days thinking about the coming persecution or how to stand in the day of adversity. So many are more concerned with seeing the newest movie, having the nicest wardrobe, or belonging to the “right” groups that there is little thought given to deeply spiritual things.
There is a day coming quickly when none of the worldly things will matter and women will suffer greatly for lack of knowledge and wisdom. They will grieve in their hearts that while they had the time and the freedom there was so little interest to grow and change that went beyond the perfunctory weekly ladies Bible study.
This is the time to dive in and drink deeply from the living water of the Word. Engrain the truths of Scripture deeply in your heart and mind, meditate on the principles and commands of our God and pray for the enabling of the Holy Spirit to stand strong in the Lord when troubles arrive on your doorstep.