Tuesday 12 September 2023

Background 

In this passage Peter offers further advice on how to respond to persecution. He says being prepared to suffer is a true indicator that you are prepared to put God first. It is generally accepted that both Peter and Paul wrongly assumed that Jesus’ second coming would occur within their lifetime. That is why Peter says the end is near and Christians should prepare themselves to face it.

After centuries of Christians wrongly claiming various dates for the end of the world, most Christians have ceased trying to predict when it will occur, while accepting that one day it will. We have come to accept that God’s timing is not our timing. However, that should not prevent us living each day as if it were our last – and so always prioritising what really matters.    

Verse 8 is about what should be our chief priority – to love each other deeply. Peter then elaborates on what that means in word and deed. It includes using the gifts God has given us and relying on God's strength not on our own. I once read a newspaper report about a young girl stopped by the police for repeatedly driving round a roundabout in reverse. She told them she had been trying to see if she could rewind the mileometer because she did not want her parents to know how many miles she had driven the night before!  There are times in life when all of us wish we could put the clock back. We'd like to rewind what has happened and say or do things differently. It is because we don’t always get things right even when we are well intentioned that Peter offers the comfort that in God’s eyes showing love covers a multitude of sins. All of us can show love even if we can’t be perfect.  

To Ponder:

• To what extent do you put God first in your decision making?  
• How does the concept of the second coming of Christ impact on your faith? 
• What difference does it make to judge our ‘success’ by our good intentions rather than by outcomes?   

Prayer 

Father, I may not always say or do the right things, but may my intentions always be rooted in seeking to serve you. There are many things I do not understand, but give me the faith to simply put my trust in you. I know that ultimately everything is under your loving control. Amen.