Encouragements for our troubled times No. 47
COVID-19 Series | Date: 11 February 2021
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from our Pastor
1 Peter 1:13
“Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
As we continue in lockdown, it is easy to let our minds to become filled with forebodings regarding the future. The longer it goes on, the more we are prone to think that we may never see the end of Covid. And with all the talk of new variants, it can seem as if our fears are well-founded. So, as Christians, how should we think and what should we fix our minds upon?
Peter tells us, firstly, to 'gird up the loins of your mind'. We are not thinking straight, our minds are all over the place and will not settle. Therefore, we need to get a grip of our minds, order our thoughts and not let our head get filled with these fears. In Peter's day, men would wear long flowing garments which, if they wanted to run or fight or be ready for business, they would have to gather in and bind around them. So, we need to gather in our thoughts and restrain them from flying off the handle. We need to bind them up and get a grip on them so that we can think spiritually. We must not let doubts and fears get the better of us.
Secondly, Peter tells us to ‘be sober.’ Now he doesn’t say this because he thinks we may be drunk. He means that we should have clear thinking minds and sober thoughts. Not fixating on irrational fears about things we have no control over and may never happen. But thinking clearly and spiritually, trusting in our God, who knows what He is doing and is working all things out according to His will and for our good.
Thirdly, we are to ‘rest our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’ We are to put our minds at ease and rest our thoughts upon the great blessings we have in Jesus Christ our Lord especially those that shall be ours when he comes for us and we dwell with Him forevermore. Whatever may be our lot in this world; whatever may be denied us and however hard things may get, we know they are a mere passing phase. Our hope is in Christ and in the things to come. As Paul says, “for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”