Tighten Your Belt
Today's Verse:
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ~1 Peter 1:13
For most men, wearing a belt with their trousers is a common practice. Wearing a belt assures you that your trousers are firmly secured around your hips and do not impede your movement. It helps you make sure that you don’t have an embarrassing moment where your trousers could slip down. It assures you of mobility so that you can walk and run. Thus, if a man’s trousers start to sag or become loose, he will tighten his belt. Peter speaks about tightening the belt or girding up the loins of our mind. This morning, we want to see why it is vitally important to “tighten your belt” or gird up the loins of your mind.
We see the means of attack.
The Christian community was under severe attack. Many were displaced by persecution and rejection. Some were slipping in their faith walk. They found themselves doubting God, going back to former sinful habits, or being very discouraged. When pressure comes into our life, it reveals what is really inside of us. Peter reminded these precious believers about the doctrines they believed in, but now he is exhorting them concerning their duty as believers. The fact that he speaks about the loins of their minds tells us that their thinking was under severe attack. Let us remember that the mind is where we process our thoughts and make decisions. It is the gateway for control and domination. If we are not careful of what enters in, what is on your mind is a function of what you allowed to come in.
We see the multi-faceted advice.
The first thing is to gird up or tighten the loins of your minds. All men wore long, flowing garments that needed to be pulled up, and a belt or rope would be used to tighten it around the hips so that movement would not be impeded. Soldiers girded their loins or tightened the belt around their garments so that they would not be impeded or impaired in battle. We are to tighten up our thinking. We must be disciplined and restricted about what we will hear, read, and see. We should only think about things that are good, pure, virtuous, and godly. Are you too loose in your thinking? Second, we must be sober. Being sober is in opposition to being under the control of alcoholic substances. Our thoughts should not be allowed to be under the control of substances, ideals, or personalities that can change us into something that we are not supposed to be. Third, we are to conform ourselves to the virtue of holiness. The advice that Peter is giving is a strategic call to holy living. Holy living implies separation from things and people that can lead to our spiritual destruction.
We see the motivating arrival.
He speaks of us being hopeful to the end for the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of God begins at salvation and is our sustaining power until Jesus comes. In essence, he is telling us to keep our eyes on the eastern sky and hope for the soon coming of the Lord. It is living each moment with the anticipation that our Lord is coming to take us out of this world of woe, worry, and wickedness. It is the longed-for event that the bridegroom is coming for His bride. Our motivating thought is, “He’s coming soon.” It is not, “Will He come?” but “When He comes!” Remember, our hope is the anticipated completion of a promise that will be fulfilled.
Don’t let loose thinking get you into trouble. Tighten the belt around your thoughts, be sober, be holy, and be excited that Jesus is coming soon.
Have a ready God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Samuel 13-14