1 Peter 4: 7-11- The end of all things is near.
Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can
pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer
hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,
faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one
speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do
it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may
be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the
power for ever and ever. Amen.
Good advice…Peter is telling us that it is all about our attitude.
The first verse of this chapter even tells us that it should be the very attitude
of God. But this group of verses tells us just what the attitude of God is…the indwelling
spirit of God…empowering us to share the gospel…with confidence. A constant spirit of love for others…hospitality
to even those we have never met…with joy and contentment…NO GRUMBLING
ALLOWED!!!! Faithfully speaking God’s
words…with God’s strength…so that God receives ALL the credit and praise.
I am thinking about Joseph…that shepherd boy that God allowed
some mean brothers to sell into slavery…who bore all kinds of persecution he
did not deserve…until God blessed him with a way to save his family during a
famine…even his whole nation. Or what
about Moses..who after trying to bring justice on his own…ended up running away
to hide from his sin. God appeared to
him in a burning bush and empowered him to lead the whole Israelite nation out
of slavery. Or Jesus…that HUMAN baby
that grew up and used the power of his heavenly father to endure death on a
cross…so that you and I can enjoy a home without a mortgage in Heaven someday.
Peter wants all of us to realize that we can have the kind
of relationship with God that Joseph, Moses and Jesus had with him…so we can
learn to love and serve others without so much as a gripe or complaint. Rejoice
as he says in the suffering he allows to train us…because it is that suffer
that teaches us how to be more like these great examples of faith that we read
about in our Bible. What a better day
than Father’s day to proclaim our love to the one who is always there for
us..the one who chases after us when we run away…who picks us up and retrains
us until we get it right!
Father…thank you for being the best dad. And thank you for
blessing me with a pretty awesome Earthly father too…who must have learned this
great lesson from Peter way before you placed me in his life. I love you both
so much and feel so blessed to have Christian parents who taught me at an early
age about you! Help me to keep loving on every person I meet with your love…bearing
every seemingly hard season in life…until you have trained me to rely on you
for my strength…to know that you are girding me every moment with your power. Amen.
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