Preparing to Further Hope

Preparing to Further Hope

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy”
- 1 Peter 1:13-16

Faith - my beliefs and choices put into action, executed by self-control, founded in my hope that is being fully placed in Jesus Christ (in what he has done, and in the promises that the Lord has made to those who seek him and follow after him).

Trying to daily remind myself of what I am living for, what my actions are telling the world of what I stand for, has taken on a new form and definition for me. Perhaps it is more than just that, but that perhaps what I think I know is actually growing and becoming more complete in what the truth really is regarding what Jesus said about “counting the cost” – am I willing to put the effort required for following Christ?

“Prepare” - what God is trying to get our eyes to open up to and minds to wrap it’s understanding around, is what Peter says. There really is a preparation for moving the thoughts of our faith into action, it takes time, and it takes our willingness to use our self-control. So what does this “preparing” look like?

It’s quite simple; it means that we need to choose our choices before the opportunity to make them comes. Did you catch that? For instance, if there was a test and the only way to pass was to study for it, you would need to prepare by studying. In the same way, we need to study God’s word to help prepare our minds for the decisions that will come and test our faith. In Hosea 4:6 it says that God’s “people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge.” (emphasis added)

In the Old Testament, after Moses had passed away, the Lord commanded Joshua to lead his people to cross the Jordan River into the promise land. God had previously given them instructions to follow out as well as his commandments that they were to follow. The Lord continued to speak to Joshua saying “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)

Even Kings in the Old Testament were required to have a copy of the lord’s instructions and commandments as it says, “He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way...” (Deuteronomy 17:19-20)

Meditating on God’s word, day and night, and daily reading to learn to fear the Lord, keeping us from turning away, is what we must do to prepare our minds to action (just as Joshua and the Kings of Israel had to do). This is the best way, if not the only way, to be ready for the tests that come in our lives. God does not want us to be caught off guard or unprepared, and this is the reason why God graciously guided the completion of the Bible for us.

Do not forget to prepare, to study God’s word, allowing it to penetrate, pierce and transform our thoughts as well as our hearts. Our faith lived out is the most important thing we can do after choosing to follow our Lord and savior; living consciously of our thoughts and actions to live with self-control. All of this for the hope we have in Christ, living without regret, knowing that our actions are furthering not only God’s Kingdom, but stretching out the hope we carry inside to those who are hurting, in need of, and searching for the one true God.

Seek God and live out your faith full heartedly,

Ikaika Mossman