“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  I apologize to my careful readers. I skipped a sermon. Yesterday I went from vs 18 and now return and address verses 13-17. (maybe it’s time to retire.)                  

June-Allyson Ieron wrote a story in the older conference magazine, The Standard. It was entitled "One Shot and I Blew It".  As a seventh grader who was a chubby, freckle-faced kid she was like most Jr. Highers, wanting so much to be accepted by the in crowd at school. Because she did not feel accepted, she sought acceptance by the teachers and worked hard to be given the title by others as teacher's pet. This brought her punches, pebbles thrown at her, classmates pushing her down, and name calling. When you are in seventh grade you want more than anything to fit in.  What if it meant no longer trying to get the all-A report card? Would that make her more acceptable to others with feathered blonde classmates?     

June wrote of Heather who was the envy of the class. She was shocked to have the unexpected happen. Heather invited her to a sleep - over for her birthday with twelve other friends. Almost all of them were in the ‘in-crowd’. Now she had a shot of being accepted. How great it is to be accepted by the important kids at school. They ate pizza, drank Coke, and ran around the neighborhood on a scavenger hunt.

When she went into the room the girls decided to hold a séance. The idea of contacting other spirits wasn't right to June who accepted Jesus as a young girl. She crawled into her sleeping bag and pretended to sleep while all the time praying for the blood of Jesus to protect her.   

When she returned to school the girls still wanted to be friends, but June writes she had changed. She started sitting with the social rejects at the lunch table, not because she had to, but because she wanted to. Some of those kids were mentally and physically handicapped, some were slow. Many were not good looking. She was willing to befriend those who needed friends.    

We are often faced with decisions in our lives about who are we going to impress. Whose values do we live by?   

The principles that Peter gave this early church are for us as well. He reminded them of the plan of the Father to save us, the cost of Christ on the cross to purchase us, and the conviction and work of the Holy Spirit that is ever with us. He encouraged them by pointing them to Jesus’ second coming and the glory and reward that will be worth it all.

Here are some things to remember regarding suffering - it is temporary, a means of building character, and a means of proving our faith. The prophets and angels themselves wished they could see our great salvation.   

Application:  How can we as Christians be prepared to endure hardship? Are we in it for the long haul? Indeed, Peter tells us, it is worth it.

Prayer:   Lord, help me seek only to please You.  Show me who You would have me befriend today