In 1 Peter 4, from verse 7, we read about the imminence of Christ's return. Peter is encouraging the church to live with purpose while hoping for Christ's return.
In living life expectantly, there are attitudes and behaviours we should exercise, as follows:
• Wait expectantly for His return, recognising the signs of the times with hope rather than despair.
• Live responsibly. Have a clear purpose in our daily lives. In verse 7 and onwards, we see wise advice on a responsible and praiseworthy approach to life. In essence, keep your mind! Keep it clear and allow God to renew it. Stay in touch with God through prayer.
In maintaining a calm poise, keep praying for God to do something wonderful in your world. You'll notice how unsettled life gets when we have periods of time without connecting via prayer.
• Love must be your priority. In verses 8 and 9, Peter urges an intensity of love. It's conceivable, for example, that the early church members were getting frustrated with each other during persecution. Love forgives the offences of others. Love covers a multitude of sin.
• Keep serving. Use the resources and gifts that God has given you to serve God and others to the best of our ability. It is not to be restricted. We are also wired differently, diverse in nature and gifts for reaching others.
• Finally, give glory to God. As we wait for Christ's return, we can and should live well in honour of God's Kingdom. Our music is a tool to extend the Kingdom. Or gifts, too, are not here to build ourselves but for others; for His service.
As we remain faithful, consider Luke 12:42-48 - our opinions and ideas have no authority apart from the Word of God.
NOTE: Image sourced from http://www.heartlight.org; image by Phil Ware, Heartlight.org
No comments:
Post a Comment