February 28, 2018 – I Peter 1:13

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 1 Peter 1:13.

This one verse propels our hearts and our minds to see Truth.  We spend our lives exercising our bodies to be healthy.  How often do we prepare our minds for action, and exercise self-control?  Are we able to discern between good and evil?

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.  Romans 8:5-6. 

It is a matter of life and death to prepare our mind and exercise self-control to stay away from the sin surrounding us.  Self-control is one of the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, along with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Without Jesus in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit guiding us, it is impossible to live continually letting these fruit of the spirit flowing into our hearts and minds. Think of the opposite of each of these entities, and you will find sin.

Only as we live day to day as God’s obedient children, will our own desires be pushed aside.  How can we prepare our minds? By reading and learning God’s Word.  It is when we exercise self-control, through the Holy Spirit, can we please God with His desires, not ours.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. I Peter 1:14