“Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (I Peter 1:13)

Here Peter encourages Christians in the midst of difficulty to adhere to a trio of attitudes. These are also very fitting for believers who aspire to live for the Lord in trying times today:

— “Be sober”: This is not merely a verse for those tempted to excess with alcohol. It is speaking of our attitude. We are living in serious times; serious things are happening, and perhaps about to happen. He is commanding us not to become “drunk” in the endless distractions of entertainment or dissipation available to us, but to walk with a serious perspective about who we are, and what God has called us to do in this world.

— “Gird Your minds for action”: Be ready to ACT. Live out your faith; don’t just sit around passively waiting for “something to happen.” As a faithful servant, be about your Master’s business until He comes. (Matthew 24:46)

— “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. We may well soon lose every worldly possession we have. So don’t fix your hopes on those things. Fix them on JESUS; and on the “imperishable inheritance” (:4) that you have in heaven, which can never be taken away.

If our world is on the verge of a crisis, adopting the 3 attitudes that Peter commended here will help you immensely. And even if it is NOT yet the time of the end, you will find that they will still serve you very well.