Clothed & Ready

Stressed? Under pressure? Finding life tough when sharing the Good News of the Lord Jesus?

It’s comforting to know that these challenges are not new. As we open God’s Word, we find a letter written especially for Christians who were strangers and aliens, living in a foreign country for the sake of the Gospel. These early Christians preached the word wherever they went. Sound familiar?

As we read the letter of 1 Peter, we find that these same people were suffering as a result of all kinds of trials. Immediately, we, as people in ministry, understand how they feel. We too are godly people living in a strange land, learning another language, adjusting to a different culture and sharing the most important message—God’s salvation—to people who do not necessarily want to hear it.

So what is our response to those situations when we too are faced with frustrations, difficulties and in some cases, serious suffering? As Christians, how can we clothe ourselves in readiness for those times when we feel stressed and pressured to meet the demands and expectations of our ministry? These pressures can become magnified when living in a culture not our own.

In such circumstances, we have choices. We can opt out. We can withdraw. Or we can be duped into pretence like the Emperor of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. In our story, the Emperor was persuaded to wear a new and remarkable suit of clothes. Clad in such “splendour” he strutted through the streets of his kingdom with his loyal subjects cheering and waving with huge smiles on their faces. It was not until a little boy yelled above the noise of the crowd, “The Emperor has nothing on!” that the pretence was over.

All too often in ministry we keep up appearances and pretend that all is well. Sometimes we trick ourselves into believing that the smiles we give, our obedience to the culture and an attitude of self-sufficiency is genuine and will impress.

However, in 1 Peter 1:13, God’s people in ministry are encouraged to “set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when He is revealed.” As believers, we have already experienced this amazing grace at the moment of receiving Christ into our lives. And when Christ returns, we will experience this grace in ways beyond our understanding.

Still feeling overwhelmed? We can respond God’s way! Our choices should be about living according to God’s plan because in Him we have a living hope. Rather than focussing on my way, my thoughts and my behaviour, focus on God’s plans, glorifying God and asking for God’s strength to persevere during difficulties, disappointments and challenges. It will be less about self-pity, retribution and despair. It will be more about rejoicing in our sufferings to the extent that we can experience indescribable and glorious joy.

1 Peter 1:13 further encourages us to experience this living hope by preparing our minds for action. Easy to say but more difficult to do, you might be thinking. Often our minds are filled with irrelevant details, making endless plans or consumed by the busyness of ministry.

Preparing our minds means to put away distractions so that we can be ready to hear God’s prompting, to obey, to follow and to speak as God leads. While our minds are cluttered with the daily grind it is difficult to be ready for action. How much more important it is to be alert both mentally and spiritually with a Christ-centred attitude.

In Exodus 12:11, we read that the Children of Israel were instructed to eat their Passover meal with “your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat in haste…” NIV?. This is the same wording in Greek as used in “prepare your minds for action” NASB?. Metaphorically, we need to have the robes of our mind tucked into our belts, ready for action as God prompts us to obey.

1 Peter 1:13 also encourages God’s people in ministry to be self-controlled. While living in another country, enjoying the pleasures of a different and exciting culture, surrounded by beautiful people and delectable foods, an exotic lifestyle may hold an attraction and enticement. Being thousands of miles away from people who hold us accountable for our actions, we can be tempted to indulge ourselves in ungodly behaviour without risk of discovery

When the pressures of the task to which God has called us become tedious, monotonous or too much like hard, unrewarding work, it is easier to make unwise choices. We tell ourselves that our stresses and challenges give us permission to take a break from ministry. We deserve it.

Peter reiterates the need of self-control and self-discipline two more times in his letter. In 1 Peter 4:7 he writes that we need to be clear-minded and self-controlled so we can pray. When we are experiencing stress, the aspect of our lives that is most likely to be neglected is our prayer life. We become less interested in prayer under-pinning our ministry. Conversation with God is no longer a priority.

Then in 1 Peter 5:8 we are reminded to be self-controlled and on the alert as your enemy the devil prowls around, seeking for someone to devour. As Dr Ken Williams of Wycliffe Bible Translators says, “No one wakes up in the morning and says to himself, ‘today I am going to ruin the rest of my life!’” Yet for so many people committed to serving God overseas, it just takes one moment where self-control is abandoned, when we are no longer wearing the protective robe of righteousness, that Satan devours the very person anointed for strategic ministry.

As we reconsider our response to stress, pressure and suffering, the Apostle Peter encourages us to anticipate the wonderful hope we have in Christ, a hope that will be fulfilled when we hear those words face to face, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21, NIV).

And as we serve each day, living in a foreign land, we can rejoice by clothing ourselves in the hope that is ours, preparing our minds for action and being self-controlled. As we become more Christ-like, saturating ourselves with prayer and remaining alert to Satan’s wiles, we can be confident in the knowledge that we are truly God’s chosen ones. He has set us apart to serve Him. We will know with assurance that our faith and hope are in Him.