Prepare

“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

I like this part of today’s verse, “prepare your mind for action.”

As an athlete (or rather, former athlete), I remember game days as being my favorite days. The preparation and practice was complete. Now, we had time to get our head in the game. We had time to prepare our mind for action.

We all had different ways that we would do that. For most of us, music was part of that preparation. The music somehow calming us and motivating us at the same time. And with music in our ears, we would prepare our minds for action. Dwelling on all that we knew we wanted and needed to do to be successful. Our mind preparing our body for action.

For some of us it was prayer and contemplation (with or without music). Praying that we would somehow be able to glorify God through how hard we played, how well we did, and how much fun we had doing it. Remembering that we were playing for more than ourselves, but playing for our team, our school, our God. The prayer preparing our mind and our heart for battle... for action.

We practiced and prepared for the game. Now, we had to prepare our mind so that we would act and react, and do what we prepared to do when faced with those situations. I remember a coach once saying, “Know before hand what you will do and how you will do it.”

That’s what Peter seems to be saying here, “Prepare your mind for action.” Know before hand how you will act and react when faced with certain situations. Have a plan so that you won’t fall back into old habits and old ways of thinking. Prepare your mind and set your hope fully on Jesus. Be holy as He is holy.

And today, with our enemy the devil waiting to devour and destroy, we need to prepare our minds and hearts for action. We need to put on the full armor of God. We need to choose now how we will think, act and react. And through prayer and worship and dwelling on His Word, we need to strive to be holy as He is holy.

Prepare your mind for action... push away all other distractions ~ Think Holy.

Keep the Faith... Carpe Diem