1 & 2 Peter – Page 9

1 Peter 4:1-6 – Live for God

Who do you live for? When you wake up each morning, do you ever start with a prayer of thanks for the new day? Do you give God a thumbs up and ask him to help you get through another day? This passage gives us a picture of who we should be as followers of Christ.

What are the highlights here? We must have an attitude like Christ and be ready to suffer. And we should be anxious to do the will of God. Period. So bring it on – I’m ready to battle. I have the best armor and protection possible. If I suffer, it’s okay because of my strong faith and trust in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I know who I belong to and where my final destination lies. Continue reading “1 Peter 4:1-6 – Live for God”

1 Peter 3:13-22 – Integrity

Read 1 Peter 3:13-22

There is so much emphasis in our culture to be “number one”, have success, “go with the flow,” and certainly don’t offend anyone by being “politically incorrect.” Many times, to do these things would require us to set aside our morals and beliefs.

Some people do that blindly to fit in or be accepted. To “sell your soul to the devil” so to speak has its consequences. In today’s reading, we are reminded that suffering will come. We are not promised a problem-free life. Verse 17 says, “Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” Continue reading “1 Peter 3:13-22 – Integrity”

1 Peter 3:7-12 – Is This Hard?

Read 1 Peter 3:7-12

What a beautiful message to men, particularly husbands, here. If you are a wife, do you felt understood and respected? Do you feel like your marriage is in equal partnership with your spouse? Husbands – same questions only reversed. It can be hard. Relationships must be treated with care and attention. There would be a lot more happy marriages if husbands and wives were to really pay attention to these truths (see previous reading for message to wives).

While today’s reading starts out focusing on husbands, it quickly moves on to the rest of us, women included I would say. If we call ourselves Christian, that is a follower of Christ, we should want to claim that and be known for that. Unfortunately, we are seeing a drifting away of the kinds of holy living we’ve been reading about. There is so much emphasis these days on self and not enough on God’s empowerment and our response. Continue reading “1 Peter 3:7-12 – Is This Hard?”

1 Peter 3:1-6 – For Wives Especially

Read 1 Peter 3:1-16

This passage is similar to one we read in Ephesians 5 (I’ll have to grab link or you can search for that passage if you want to see how I dealt with the instructions to wives from that perspective.) In Ephesians, Paul was speaking, this is Peter. Peter seems a little more positive for women, in general. It seems as if his instructions could apply to all women. Lest, married women would look dumpy and frumpy, while unmarried women would look dressed and polished, lipstick and all. For wives then, we have an “extra” duty from other women.

This spoke to me having been a battered wife for fifteen years. You begin to wonder if something is wrong with you. If I had read this verse during that time, I think I would have found a lot of comfort and strength. I was at least trying my best to be pure, but it wasn’t working. There was much more emphasis on looking nice with extra jewelry, makeup, etc. That isn’t the right focus! I wish I could have lived without fear. But that was a lifetime ago. Continue reading “1 Peter 3:1-6 – For Wives Especially”

1 Peter 2:18-25 – Please God

Read 1 Peter 2:18-25

We’ve been in a series of readings lately dealing with how we should live. Many people might think, “I don’t want to be told how to live, I want to live my life the way I want.” Other people are looking for the kind of living that will please God because they have a truly thankful heart. Thankful for all that God has done for them, and continues to do on a daily basis. God loves us all no matter what way we think. I don’t know about you, but I want to please my God, and that’s not just because I’m a “people pleaser.” With God, it goes so much deeper.

For those who follow Jesus and want to be more like him, a passage like this is refreshing. We should be all about pleasing God. We can’t be sinless like Jesus, but we can choose to behave in ways that honor God. For those people who are a little stubborn or don’t have a relationship with God, hearing how to please him may not matter at all. Continue reading “1 Peter 2:18-25 – Please God”