PREPARE YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION

“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” I Peter 1:13 NIV

The title is a rewording of the Scripture; in a sense they are the very words of Scripture.  As we go into involvement with people on a mission for God, this is exactly what we are to do.

Here is a clear call to action, and in the New Testament the Greek verb “call” occurs about 150 times, and in most cases God is calling people for a special work to honor Him.  There is no doubt that He still calls us into active service.  Add to that this; it is wonderful that He shows personally and individually that He knows us and knows our place.  He is the God “who called you” (I Peter 1:15), and we are “called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

So while every Christian is to serve Him, there are specific assignments.  It is a call to lose our self-centeredness and commit to selflessness.  So let’s realize: until we stop living for ourselves, we have not begun to live and for sure have not begun to live the life God planned for us.  Selfless living, call it self-denial, is a summons from God to submit to His authority and to declare a lifelong war with our own ego.  This is true and distinctive to all of us.

And it starts with a wholesome self-examination. We see the truth as we become aware of our shallowness, our blind spots. We need a clear awareness of our assignment. This reflection under the hand of God is the reality of wisdom.  Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones spoke of “stopping to look at yourself.” No one is worse off by knowing the worst thing about themselves and the best thing that God has put in them.

We can give simple and clear advice:  stay in the area of your giftedness; it’s where God has placed you.  That allows us to say “yes” to what we should do while we say “no” to those things God never intended us to do.  This is, after all, a mark of spiritual maturity and even the evidence of usefulness.  This awareness opens a “tool kit,” a basic set of spiritual tools that are required to be the person God intended us to be.  It gives focus and foundation which frees us to do His work His way, and we all will find the greatest joy in doing it.

I smile to read Charles Spurgeon’s words about getting busy.  He said, “It’s an abomination to let the grass grow up to your knees and do nothing toward making it into hay!”  These words “prepare your mind for action” that Peter gave us require two things:  reflection and response.  So what Jesus Christ desires and deserves is my deep reflection which leads to my devoted response.  And, this is the very meaning of mature wholeheartedness.  I use the word “mature” because it means service using one’s head and heart—all one is!

So we prepare, which includes actual private involvement prior to active public enactment.  Here is a powerful play on strong words that I have sometimes used with people:

“Poor Personal Preparation leads to Pitiful Public Performance.”

God’s normal way of guiding us is rational, that is, through thought process.  We have logical questions, “How do I prepare to serve Him?” and “Should I invite those who have done service before to advise me?” and “Am I doing my part to allow God to do His part in making me fully prepared?”  It is foolish to expect God in a flash to make one ready to serve and to bypass the thoughtful and hard labor that goes into real and adequate preparation.

How will God prepare you?  Peter said, by using your mind.  We see that in Psalm 32.  In the eighth verse He gives a very comforting promise to us, “I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.” (Living Bible)  Now, the question becomes in the most practical way, “How will He do this for me?”  The answer is in the next verse, “Don’t be like a senseless horse or mule that has to have a bit in its mouth to keep it in line!”

So then, let’s put the promise that God gives with this prohibiting that God mentions.  We summarize, He says:  Yes, I will promise to direct you and show you your place in My service, but do not expect Me to treat you like a horse or a mule by forcing you.  I will use your intelligence (your understanding) which I have given you.  I will not guide with a “bit” by force but through your mind with intelligence, your understanding of your place of service.  Maturity needs no rules, such Christians need no bits to guide them.

So it’s by using our thought process which He gave us—God prepares us not irrationally but rationally, not illogically but logically; not by wearing a heavy yoke but by wearing one that He made for you that fits you comfortably. God never forces a square peg into a round hole!

If every snowflake is unique, how much more true is that of each of us!  Our uniqueness relates to our spiritual gifts, our personality, our interests, and even our temperament.  You are who you are by the grace of God and His gifting of you.  Do not doubt it or try to forcefully make it different.  Billy Graham said, “Everyone else has been taken—so be yourself!”  We can get so much in the bad habit of trying to be someone else before others that we actually forget who we are!  Being the self God made you to be is not conceit, it’s maturity.  Use what God gave you and do not waste your life—find your place and fill it!  How valuable we become in God’s service depends on how we see how God has made us of value!

“When one is out of touch with oneself, one cannot touch others.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Blessed, indeed, is the person of faith who takes a correct measure of themselves and keeps a mature balance of their calling and their ability—gathering it together—all for God’s glory!

In matters related to being God’s servant, the victory is always won first in the mind and in the thought world.  Consider this Biblical promise:  “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV)  The King James Version has these old-fashioned words, “… whose mind is stayed on thee …”  I love it said that way!  Thoughts of doubting God’s ability to use you are as bad as thoughts of Him not loving you.  Useful lives start with clear thinking and a Christ-honoring mind.

Let’s map it out: love and truth belong together, and love and gifts belong together, and therefore love and service belong together.  Why?  Because true love for God is always seen in practical service to God.  We see the progression.  I quote John Stott, who was brilliant about this, “Love issues in services, service uses the gifts, the highest gift is teaching of truth, but truth must be spoken in love.”  All of this, of course, is interconnected.

Finally—focus on this singularly, “prepare your minds for action …”  Active involvement, not sitting on the sidelines but involved.  Is it too simple to say, “Trust God humbly and do something hourly”?  We will judge ourselves by our actions.  Do not say you have a heart of gold if you have a life set in cement!  In God’s power and purpose—just do it, first by thinking correctly and then by serving committedly.