#DailyDevotion How Should You Live Since The End Is Near?
1 Peter 4:7-11 7The end of everything is near. So be sensible and keep your heads clear for your prayers. 8Above all, continue to love one another fervently, because love covers many sins. 9Welcome one another as guests without grumbling. 10Serve one another, each with the gift he received, as good managers of the various gifts of God. 11If you speak, say what God says. If you serve, do it with the strength God gives you so that in every way you glorify God through Jesus Christ. His is the glory and the power forever! Amen.
You know, it doesn’t really matter if Peter thought Jesus’ return was just around the corner before he died or had something else in mind when he says, “The end of everything is near.” It doesn’t matter because your end is always near. You don’t know when Jesus is going to return and you don’t know when you are going to die. Either way, since you don’t know this and you do know you must stand before him at the judgment how will you live today? Peter has a few suggestions.
First, be sensible and keep you heads clear for prayers. Be sober minded. This means more than not being drunk. It means being serious, clear-headed. If we are being serious and are clear-headed then we can focus on the will of God revealed in the Scriptures. What he has revealed in the Scriptures that is what we are to focus on in our prayers. As such, the Psalms are a good place to learn how to pray for they come from the heart of God himself. If they don’t seem to match what you think your needs are then pray them on behalf of the Church because someone who is a member of your body is most certainly in need of them. You shouldn’t just be praying for yourselves anyway. Our prayers shouldn’t be selfish.
Love one another, that is love your fellow Christians as Christ has loved you. That is his command on the night he was betrayed. What does this look like? Peter follows with “love covers a multitude of sins.” He is not saying your loving other covers your sins. Loving your fellow Christians means we cover their sins, that is, we forgive them as Jesus has forgiven our sins. We need to put with one another just as Jesus continues to put up with us. We are so full of weaknesses but we can overlook them in the love of Christ.
We are to welcome one another and serve one another without grumbling. Another lesson from the upper room. Jesus took on the form of a servant and served us. He bids, he commands us to do to do the same for one another. Jesus’ gospel action towards us is the power and the example we are to follow towards our fellow Christians first of all, then when possible, those who do not know him.
In everything we do, we should do it in service to God so the world may glorify him through Jesus Christ our savior. As we bear the name of Jesus people see Jesus through us. God gives each of strength for each day to use the gifts he gives us to serve one another in love. Trusting that the love of Christ covers our every weakness and sin in all we do, let us boldly then offer ourselves in service to one another.
Heavenly Father, you give us strength for each day to use the gifts you have given us to serve one another and glorify you through Jesus Christ. Grant us faith to realize this and live out our lives so men may glorify you through Jesus Christ on the day of his revelation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.