Tuesday 21 October, 2014

6 So don’t be proud. Put yourselves under God’s mighty hand. Then he will honor you at the right time. 7 Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you. 8 Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow. 9 Stand up to him. Stand firm in what you believe. All over the world you know that your brothers and sisters are going through the same kind of suffering. 10 God always gives you all the grace you need. So you will only have to suffer for a little while. Then God himself will build you up again. He will make you strong and steady. And he has chosen you to share in his eternal glory because you belong to Christ. 11 Give him the power for ever and ever. Amen. 12 I consider Silas to be a faithful brother. With his help I have written you this short letter. I have written it to cheer you up. And I have written to give witness about the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 The members of the church in Babylon send you their greetings. They were chosen together with you. Mark, my son in the faith, also sends you his greetings. 14 Greet each other with a friendly kiss. May God give peace to all of you who believe in Christ.

When I read this letter I cant help but marvel that it was written by Peter, a man who had a simple background and an inconceivable series of experiences: Walking with Jesus for about 3 years, being the leader of the infant Church and playing such a pivotal role in so many of the early works of the Church. I think he would have had to have been a real man of action. In the gospels, we see him as a “speak first, think later” kind of person and I can relate to that!

It has dawned on me though that the wisdom he is writing in his letter is not about how to be a great activist leader, but it seems like so much of his letters are focused on how to think through the important issues of life, such as humility, faith, self-control, perseverance and keeping eternity in our minds.

Lord help me to grow as you grew Peter.

Written by Ps. Justin Ware