Preparations
We’ve spent several weeks considering what the apostle Paul teaches about how to love the Lord with our minds. Today let’s consider what the apostle Peter says.
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” -1Peter 1:13
Therefore
Peter opens his first letter with a paragraph in praise of faith. Faith, he says, is God’s power guarding us till we enjoy the full salvation coming to us soon. (1Peter 2:5) Genuine faith, Peter says, is more precious than gold. (v7)
Faith will be tested by life’s trails and griefs. This can be… unpleasant. But those testings are helpful: they prove our faith’s genuineness. In the end, faith will be what God has used to keep us close to Him.
Faith, in other words, is critical. The strength of our faith will be the measure of our joy. (v9) The weakness of our faith will be the measure of our sense of loneliness, grief, and despair.
So Peter tells us to “set your hope fully on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (v13) Our faith—more precious than gold—is strengthened by a laser-like hope in Christ. He will return. With Him shall come The Great Salvation that is ours in Him. (v4-5)
We need faith. We need hope.
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action and be sober-minded.” (v13a)
Prepare your minds for action
This phrase literally says, “gird up the loins of your mind,” or, “wrap up your flowing, comfortable robe around your waste (they all wore robe-like garments) so that you are ready to work hard.”
In the military, right before a mission, the commander may say, “Prepare to Get Some.” This means, prepare to take on enemy fire. Prepare to be shot at, bombed, and just generally wished evil upon by unseen opponents.
Prepare your minds for action because your faith will come under assault and your hope will be undermined. Because testing, trials, griefs, and all the waiting, will erode your faith.
We live by faith. We live off hope.
This will require that we do more with our minds than decide which channel to watch. This will require more of our minds than doomscrolling till brainrot manifests in our hearts.
Are our minds ready for action?
Want to get to work on time? Set your alarm. Want to cook that meal enjoyably? Mise en place. Want to lift that heavy object? Rub chalk on your hands. People rely on rituals of preparation to cue themselves to work, to engage their whole self—heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Want to be ready? It will take mental preparation.
What preparations could we make, for the sake of our faith and hope? What could we do, for example, the night before? Lay out tomorrow’s outfit, get your lunch ready, make sure the coffee is ready to boil—we all make preparations like these.
How could we translate this to the area of faith? Perhaps a set of reflection-questions and prayers before we head to bed. A verse recited, a truth remembered, upon waking. Various cues along our path—when I get my first cup of coffee, I’ll thank God for… When I start the car, I’ll remember… When I head home, I’ll take this stretch of road to review the day with gratitude and prayer…
And be sober-minded.
Peter goes on to clarify what “prepare your minds for action” might mean for some of us: sober up.
We tend to mental inebriation—either by way of actually inebriating substances, or by way of the vague distractedness that modern media is designed to fog us with.
Like, a shot of booze is never part of successful preparation for tomorrow, right? So why would we pump our minds with dulling nonsense at critical moments in our days?
Sober up. A bucket of water, a cup of coffee, and an ibuprofen. Because the gift of stronger faith and hope involves the work of caring for our mental condition. Faith and hope are supported by mind-work.
And our faith is the most precious thing we have. It is the hand of God protecting us. It is the seed of praise, sending joy into our lives. It is what keeps Christ in view.
If you knew tonight that roving bandits were heading through your neighborhood, you would do something. You would prepare. You would stay mentally engaged and alert. Because you have valuables you want to protect.
Our faith is more valuable. Faith will endure. And faith will preserve us. That’s why we need to bother about this.
Hang onto faith, friends. Don’t let hope die out. Make the necessary preparations.
Prepare to get some.
Father God,
Thank You for this great salvation. You have caused me to be born again to a living hope. You raised Jesus from the dead and in that moment assured me of an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and will never fade. And You keep this glorious grace for me in heaven, and You keep me for it, through faith. So Spirit, please strengthen my faith, focus my hope. Sustain me through the trails and griefs of life. Give me the courage to have the discipline to do the work of preparing my mind for the actions that sustain faith and strengthen hope. And, Jesus, come quickly.
Amen
Photo on Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash