Today’s Reading: 1 Peter 2-3
It amazes me how fast this Advent season has moved so quickly. These last couple of weeks have been on autopilot and I have been swept along with it. We are preparing for the last days of school and prepping for recitals. The house is a buzz with the excitement of the season. As I sit and ponder, I am over joyed with the reason for this excitement and delight: Jesus has overcome all of our fears and he has come to be with us.
In first letter from Peter, Peter writes to give encouragement to the early Christians from his relationship with Christ before and after the resurrection. Peter tells how Christ has performed miracles and acts that allowed him to overcome all the obstacles that he had face and these are translatable to us in the challenges we have faced, can face, and will face in the future. This is a letter of overcoming the obstacles that challenge us on a daily basis. These challenges can be internal or external. These challenges can be at home or outside.
The best news is that in this season of Advent we are reminded of the time before Christ came and before the Spirit was available to us all, the time for hope and wonder and anticipation of renewal and life. We are reminded that before there was only darkness and now we have the light that has overcome the darkness.
Peter tells us in these chapters:
1 Peter 2: 15 - 17; 19;21;23 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants[d] of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 1 Peter 3: 8-9; 14 - 17 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
As we continue in this season of Advent, we have to take courage that even though we are excited as believers for this season, this is a time that many obstacles will try to derail us and take out attention away from Christ. Let us be aware of this and allow the Spirit to reassure us of the fact that we have already overcome. Be blessed.