I've Lost My Idle Mind!

A sprinter getting set in the blocks before a race.  A baseball player in the batter’s box waving his bat above home plate before he swings.  A football player getting down in a three point stance before the ball is hiked.  In these moments, athletes have one thing in common . . . they are preparing for action.  In these moments, an athlete is thinking about what they are going to do and how they are going to do it.  In these moments, an athlete is preparing themselves to explode into action.  An athlete does not prepare for nothing . . ., when the gun goes off, when the ball is pitched, or when the ball is hiked, an athlete does not relax and become idle.  They put all of their energy and effort into doing the action that they were preparing to do.  Their preparation is intended for a very specific purpose.  Much like an athlete, a Christian is preparing for specific action as well! 

READ: 1 Pet. 1:13-17

The Christian life is not a life of idleness, but a life of action.  The phrase in verse 13, “preparing your minds for action” literally means to “gird up the loins of your mind”.  Girding your loins means to, “gather up long loose robes around the waist and tuck them into a belt in preparation to run or some other physical action.”  Preparing our minds for action means we are getting ready to DO SOMETHING!  As a believer in Christ we prepare to ACT with our MINDS!  As believers what are we preparing to DO?

Be prepared to conduct your life with OBEDIENCE (vs 14) – In verse 14 Peter compares believers to an “obedient child”.  Without a loving parent present, a child will “ignorantly” do all kinds of wrong and hurtful behavior.  With no authority to teach and guide, a child will follow their selfish desires into whatever conduct they choose.  Children need to learn to obey their parents who can teach and train them to act in ways that are right.  Obedient children do not passively continue follow their selfish desires, but rather submit to a parent that knows what is right and best.  Preparing our minds for action means hearing and doing what God says because we trust with 100% confident that He knows what is good and best for our lives (Mt. 5:17-20; 1 Jn. 2:3-6, 5:3).

Be prepared to conduct your life with HOLINESS (vss 15-16) – The word “holy” in verse 15 means to be “set apart” or “separated”.  Believers are to conduct their lives differently from the rest of the world.  We are to turn from sin and pursue righteousness.  But where do we get our standard of what is right and wrong?  Our standard for right and wrong comes from the character and nature of God Himself who is holy.  We conduct ourselves with honesty in all situations because God is truthful and He does not lie (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18).  We conduct ourselves with love and kindness because God is loving and kind (1 John 4:7-8, 16).  We treat others with justice because God is just (Dt. 32:4).  As a believer, we must use our minds to prepare to live lives separated from sin and pursuing righteousness.  Preparing our minds for action means knowing and imitating God’s holy character in the conduct of our daily lives (Mt. 5:48).

Be prepared to conduct your life with FEAR (vs 17) – God has good deeds that He wants us to do as we sojourn through this life.  It is not fear of punishment, but our profound respect and awe of God which is the motivation for our good deeds.  We must fearfully monitor our life’s actions against God’s will knowing that He will ultimately judge whether our actions are good or not.  True reverence for God will inevitably express itself in good deeds and not idleness.  A life of idleness cannot produce good deeds and may reveal a lack of genuine relationship with God.  Preparing our minds for action means doing good deeds out of reverence for God (2 Cor. 7:1).

CONCLUSION

The Christian life is not one of idleness.  Believing in Jesus and doing nothing is not an option!  We must continually be prepared to obediently do whatever good that God calls us to do.  God saves us for the grand purpose of using our obedience, our holiness, and our good deeds to illuminate a dark and dying world with the good news of the gospel (Mt. 5:16).  Prepare your mind for ACTION!