Prepare Your Minds for Action

Discombobulated.

That’s a fun word to say. It is a just a multisyllabic way of saying I’m confused about a whole lot right now.

Maybe you feel the same. We have schools going virtual left and right because of COVID-19. There are challenges to who the next president will be. Will we ever be able to show our whole face in public again?

Our minds can certainly kick into overdrive if we hyper-focus on these issues. I suppose that is why this phrase in 1 Peter 1:13 keeps coming back to me…“prepare your minds for action…”

Peter spoke these words to a group of believers facing intense persecution during the time of Nero (you know, the Emperor infamous for using Christians as flaming torches in his gardens).

Peter knew something about mindset. He knew he had to encourage these persecuted believers to “fix your hope on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13). They had to look ahead to what was coming to get past their current circumstance.

Gird up the loins of your mind. Thank you King James!

You got to love the good old KJV translation of “prepare your mind for action”. It says “gird up the loins of your mind”. It is a throw back to the image of someone tucking their flowing robes up around their waist so they could do some serious work without interference of the garment. The imagery is depicting very disciplined THINKING.

I need to gird up the loins of my discombobulated thinking. When I let the flowing robes of my mind run a muck, it stirs up all manner of anxiety. Disciplined thinking refocuses me to think about the victory Jesus has already won on my behalf.

The more uncertain the world around us becomes, the more we need to prepare our minds for action. We have to act in advance to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

So how do we prepare? You know how when we meet someone who has lost weight and we ask, “How’d you do it?” We always want an easy answer, but it is almost always the same…eat less, move more. No short cuts.

Same. To prepare our minds for action we do the basics…get in the Word, get into fellowship with other believers, pray. No short cuts.

Peter was truly trying to prepare his friends for what was possibly ahead. Persecution during his day was a very real possibility. But his words are for us as well. Are we ready for what is possibly ahead, friends? Do not wait until the heat of the battle to try to make sound decisions. Go ahead and gird up those loins!

You cannot prepare your mind in the midst of the battle. Preparation always happens BEFORE the battle.