July 18 | 1 Peter 4:7-11
- Todd Marti
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
While we are waiting
By Todd Marti
“The end of all things is near, so keep your minds calm and sober for prayer. Above all preserve an intense love for each other, since love covers over many a sin. Welcome each other into your houses without grumbling. Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these varied graces of God, put it at the service of others. If anyone is a speaker, let it be as the words of God, if anyone serves, let it be as in strength granted by God; so that in everything God may receive the glory, through Jesus Christ, since to him alone belong all glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:7-11 (New Jerusalem Bible, emphasis added, other translations available here)
Peter gave us specific directions on how to live as we await Jesus’ return: to pray, to love each other, to concretely and cheerfully bless each other, and to use the gifts God gives us to bless others. Those things do not come naturally, so let’s pray for help with them.
“[K]eep your minds calm and sober for prayer.” Holy Spirit, please:
Draw us into conversation with you. Help us to recognize that those conversations will be far better than anything that would distract us from them.
“Calm,” settle, us. Remove, separate us from, things that agitate us and their effects. Help us to curb passions and moderate emotions that interfere with our hearing what you are saying.
“Sober” us up. Free us from the influence of intoxicants, things that distort or obscure the truth, be they chemical, relational, or media driven, so that we can honestly and fruitfully converse with you.
Please do these things on an ongoing basis; “keep” at it as we move through our days so we can “keep” communicating with you.
Help us to engage our “mind[s]” in that prayer; help us to think about what we are experiencing and have experienced, to do so with the benefit of your wisdom, and to bring those thoughts to you. Help us to ponder what you show us.
“Above all preserve an intense love for each other.” Please:
Help us to prioritize our relationships, to put them “above all.”
Help us to “love” each other, to cultivate real affection for those you have put us in relationship with.
Help us to “intense[ly]” pursue that love, to be willing to stretch ourselves, especially with regard to those we have trouble loving. Help us to remember that love is often a verb, not an emotion.
“Welcome each other into your houses without grumbling.” Holy Spirit, please:
Give us eyes to see how we can provide concrete help to each other, to see the things we can do or provide to meet others’ human needs.
Help us to approach this with generous hearts, trusting that you will provide what we need and that we will find joy in the process of meeting others’ needs.
“Like good stewards responsible for all these varied graces of God, put it at the service of others . . . if anyone serves, let it be as in strength granted by God.” Please:
Help us to recognize that you have given each one of us gifts so that we can be delivery systems for your love; that we each have some way(s) we can bless others. Help us each to look for and recognize the particular gifts you have given us.
Help us to intentionally, actively, look for ways we can use your gifts to bless others. Give us eyes to see those ways.
Get us past any reticence we may have about putting those gifts to work; help us to trust that you will empower us to deliver the love you want delivered in the ways you want it delivered. Help us to recognize that you give us joy when we serve you by serving others.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father,
We ask these things in the name of He who is indeed coming–Jesus the Christ. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TODD MARTI
I have been connected to UALC since 2000 in various small groups and as a co-manager of the UALC Community Garden. I’m married to Kelly Marti, and the proud father of Sarah Marti. I am happy to be writing these devotions.
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