Day 327

Ezekiel 45:13–46:24; 1 Peter 1:13–2:10; Psalm 119:33-48; Proverbs 28:11

ALTHOUGH THE POSTURES Peter is teaching us in his first letter are intended to be lived into every day, we may find that they are particularly relevant to the time of year we are moving into. This is the time when our schedules begin to fill with joyful festivities, but along with them come many challenges. We may find ourselves fighting for our place —whether for a parking spot at the mall or within the family dynamics that arise around the holidays. Peter gave us advance counsel on how to face trying times like these:

You must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Obviously, Peter wasn’t talking about holidays in the twenty-first-century. He was talking about the shape of our everyday lives. But since we’re entering into one of the most uniquely stressful and distinct times of our year, the counsel becomes immediately available and applicable. Simply remembering the invitation “You must be holy because I am holy” can be a rescue when we are emotionally spent or are pulled into challenging environments.

Some of the ways we may cope when we’re stressed and overwhelmed are to become controlling, opinionated, or judgmental. This isn’t a new phenomenon among humans. On the heels of Peter’s encouragement to live holy lives, he had this to say: “Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do” (1 Peter 1:17).

We must remember that we are each individually on a unique journey with God —especially in times of stress, like the holidays. We have not been appointed spiritual judge over our peers or family. God will handle it, and He is impartial because He knows what’s really going on. Peter offered an alternative path that relieves us of control and returns us to a place of gratitude:

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end.

To achieve this kind of deep love for one another, Peter instructed us to “get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech” (1 Peter 2:1). And aren’t these the kinds of behaviors we can get pulled toward around the holidays?

Lastly, Peter gave us the why of all of this, in a stunning reminder of who we really are:

You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

The season we are entering is centered around that core truth. All around the world, we will consider the arrival of the Savior, who has called us out of darkness. Perhaps this is the first time you realized how near we are to Christmas, with all that’s happening now. May you carry the reminder “You must be holy because I am holy” into a season that celebrates the coming of the Holy Child and allow it to shape your experience and influence your decisions for good.

PRAYER:

Teach me your decrees, O LORD; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.