“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;” (1 Peter 1:13)
Nothing seems to be found easily … boxes upon boxes with black marker labels … closets bursting at the seams … pantries looking like an F-4 tornado had plowed through them …files scattered around and in every drawer …borderline chaos!
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Obviously, it does to me and the older I get the more the clutter seems to wear on me and my brain. And so, promises are made to self and even to others … promises broken hardly before we get started!
Physical clutter is one thing … but mental clutter is even worse and can be much more costly. If our minds are cluttered with too much information, too many things on the to-do list, too many obligations … too many old memories and conversations and deeds that trouble and haunt … too many scars we refuse to allow to heal … we will just not be able to be effective, happy, or at peace.
Peace with the Lord, self and others is something the Lord gave instructions for long before Norman Vincent Peale penned his bestseller entitled The Power of Positive Thinking.
The early Christians to whom the apostle Peter penned 1 & 2 Peter were experiencing tremendous trials as a direct result of their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. We all understand the pressure and stress difficulties can have on our hearts, minds and lives. These brethren were no different.
Peter offers them an inspired solution for their cluttered minds in 1 Peter 1:13 and he uses language that we might not be so familiar with. He instructs them to “gird up the loins of their mind …”
In the ancient world, when a person needed to move quickly it would be necessary for them to gather up their robes under a belt so nothing would interfere with their movement. Using such language in a metaphorical way, the apostle Peter was telling them to pull up all the loose and worldly thoughts that could be so troubling and focus on what should be the most important of thoughts: The grace, mercy and hope found in Jesus Christ!
The ancient Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” Yes, we have life issues to deal with … challenges in relationships to balance … and the constant tug of the world with its values, immoralities and busyness.
If we desire “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding” mentioned in Philippians 4:6, then we must begin to genuinely apply the spiritual guidance offered by Peter to our own lives … beginning today!
Start decluttering today by focusing more on the Lord, His will and the hope of Heaven when this life is over. You will be glad you did! And oh, by the way, as my kids keep telling me … start getting rid of what you don’t really need!
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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