Hope to the End for Grace

1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ


The loins of your mind.

loins. a. The region of the hips, groin, and lower abdomen. b. The reproductive organs.


The loins of the human body are typically considered the reproductive organs- coming from the loins of so and so. The loins have that power to reproduce, they are the source of reproducing without them mankind would never have lasted as long as it has. From Adam and Eve we've all descended but where our parentage goes from there isn't quite so traceable. Some families can go way, way, way back in tracing their lineage others not quite so far. Regardless of being able to trace our heritage we know that it has been through the loins of various men and women that we've come into existence by the Grace of God.


The loins of our minds- our minds don't reproduce...or do they? Think about it. Our minds bring about our actions. Generally without the thought coming from our minds our bodies do not react. Again, typically, people do not thoughtlessly as if in their sleep without a thought in their head, do anything. The thought comes first. Yes, sometimes we react so quickly to something it's easy to say, 'I did it without thinking.' But in reality the thought came first before the action even if it's only a split second between the two. Our minds literally control things. Our actions come from thoughts. The loins of our minds un-girded would me what?


If you keep something un-girded it's not secure, it's not ready.


Gird
1. a. To encircle with a belt or band. b. To fasten or secure (clothing, for example) with a belt or band. c. To surround. See synonyms at surround.
2. To equip or endow.
3. To prepare (oneself) for action.


Our bodies left un-girded are exposed to the elements. Soldiers left un-girded are more vulnerable to the weapons of warfare. To be un-girded is to be unprepared, unprotected, unsecure, unequipped. So when it is mentioned that we are to gird up the loins of our minds it's really saying what? That our minds left unprotected are vulnerable.


1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ


We have to protect our minds, our thoughts we have to be mentally and emotionally prepared for a life following Christ. People say it should all come easy or were not doing it right. They say there should be this happy-happy, joy-joy dancing and singing experience that never ends. They look at professed Christians and hold them to a higher standard than those who are not professed followers of Christ. In truth as followers of Christ we are to place all our hopes in Him and the world to come and not here. When we keep our hopes here on earth we are subject to a lot of heartache and upset.


We are to be mentally prepared- sober.


One definition of sober is- Marked by circumspection and self-restraint.


When our minds are not girded and we give no thought to what we do or so it's not showing self-restraint or circumspection. Having our thoughts protected means to think before we act and show the restraint necessary for one whose mind is stayed upon Christ. You hear that saying- 'What would Jesus do.' And it's truly something we need to have in our mind always.


Our minds need to be guarded, our thoughts filled with Christ and we need to hope to the end for the grace that is given to us by Jesus.


As we go into this new year, let us have the loins of our minds girded, let us be sober, and filled with the hope we can only find in Jesus. We will be hoping the new year brings us good things- better jobs, better health, better grades in school, stronger friendships, better relationships, etc. We hope for a renewal of good things in our lives and yet we know that not much is going to change from this last day of the year to the new one. No magic switch is pulled which will shift our fortunes from one way to the other. The hope is really that throughout the year that our lives do get a bit better in all respects and yet as followers of Christ we know that in this world we have great enemies- all the enemies Christ and His disciples had all down through the ages. The same enemies in different forms war against any who follow Christ. The enemy's goal is to turn us from Christ back to Satan without us even realizing it, or with us realizing it but feeling helpless to stop the turning. This isn't something that will ever change, new year or no new year, that unseen war will go on and on and we all fight in it one way or another. The battle will be fierce the closer the end is and we need to realize this as we have our hope for the new year. Let our hope be for a stronger faith that if our whole worldly existence falls apart somehow- jobs, health, family etc, that our faith remains and grows by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior in love, now and forever!


Amen.