Being Clear-headed

“Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be clear-headed and disciplined for prayer. Above all, keep your love for one another at full strength, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, his speech should be like the oracles of God; if anyone serves, his service should be from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Peter and other believers in the first century believed that the return of Christ was imminent in their day. We are now in the 21st century, and Christ has not yet returned. The promise of His return is still valid, of course, simply because it is the word of God. God gave His word, and He will keep it as He always does. So, just as they lived with the view that Christ would return in their lifetime, it is important that we also take that view.

The effect of doing this is to make us clear-headed, or alert, and it leads us to a life of discipline that is characterized, among other things, by prayer. Prayer helps us to be clear-headed, and it requires a discipline on our part to schedule a daily, normal time for communion with our Lord in the Spirit.

Peter goes on to point us to some actions that we can take in addition to prayer that will enable us to remain clear-headed and disciplined.

He says that we should keep our love at full strength. Loving other people means in part that we do not set ourselves up as their judge for the sins they commit, but just as God does, we love them while hating the sin, since sin is destructive. We seek to draw people to the Lord by loving them.

Peter also says we should be hospitable toward one another. Hospitality means to make yourself and your resources available to others who need your help. That is not always convenient for us, and there may at times be a temptation to complain, but Peter says we should practice hospitality without complaining.

Then, Peter says we should use our spiritual gifts to serve others. We develop a servant leader mentality. In particular, when we speak, we should do so as one who is representing the Lord, and to be effective in doing so, we must know what His word says. Our service to others must be based on the strength God provides, because otherwise our own strength will fall far short in terms of sustaining us.

We serve the glory of God, and our desire is to walk with Him and with others in the fellowship of His Spirit as we look forward to the Lord’s soon return. With that in mind, may we practice discipline and be clear-headed as we serve one another.

Lord, Guide us this day as we seek to live a clear-headed and disciplined life. Amen.