Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be self-controlled, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Pet 1:13-16).

Prepare our minds for action.  Those are powerful words.  We are not to just let our minds and lives coast and enjoy.  There is action up ahead and we need to prepare our minds, much like a soldier prepares for battle.  Paul gives us a three step plan to do so.

1) Be Self-controlled.

Other translations call it being sober.  Don’t let the influences of the world control you, you control them.  Lack of self-control is disastrous.  As Solomon puts it,

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control” (Proverbs 25:28).

The city walls of old were it’s military defenses.  A city without walls is like a country without military protection.

That’s us.  When we do not have self-control, we are open to being destroyed by anything and everything.  And one part of our lives spills over into the next and the next.  It’s never in just one area.

1) Live self-controlled lives.

As I was reading that, my phone was nearby.  Several times without even realizing it I found myself on my found scrolling along rather than meditating on the Scriptures I was reading.  I would put my phone down and a few minutes later it would happen again.  It was like it was an unconscious reflex to appease my dopamine addicted mind that had trouble with meditation.

I need self-control.

2) Set our hope fully on the grace to be given us when Jesus Christ is revealed

When Jesus returns, we will be given grace through his blood on the grace.  He will not only forgive us, but receive us with great joy.  And we will be joyful as well, especially as we know what could have been had he not done such an extraordinary act of love.

When we know his grace, it draws us to him.  To please him.  To love him.  To know him.  And when we screw up, we can go to him in repentance and find grace.  That’s a gift.

3) Be holy.

To set ourselves up for action we must be holy.  We are made holy through Christ.  And yet we also live holy.  Without holiness, we will not be prepared for action.  We will be woefully unprepared.

As time unfolds, holiness among God’s people is so often compromised.

I spent the last 8 months traveling all over the nation and am now even across the world.  What I’m seeing (from a bit older perspective), is that when children go the way of sin, the parents in their love for their children justify their actions.  They don’t want to hurt their children so they claim the Scripture doesn’t say what it says but it is relative to the culture of the time.

“Just read a book and you’ll see.”

But changing the Scripture to meet culture does not work.  Some things are rather clear.  Nor does it help your children to affirm their sin.

It’s not just children though.  I see people of all ages treating sin as if it were nothing. We need a mighty move of God to convict us of our sin.

Mine included.

We are in times where “action” is exploding around us.  The spiritual battles, the physical battles, and so much more are not in the future.  They are now.

“Prepare your minds for action.”

This is a command.  A mandate.  A mission.  A call.

O Lord, let this begin with me.