While We're Here...We Work

When I turned sixteen, I secured a real job (even though I babysat for years before) at JC Penney’s department store in their sewing section (that dates me!). 

Since I loved to sew and, by then, had been making my own school clothes for a couple years, I was thrilled! 

Weekdays I spent finishing high school classes, while weekends were dedicated to Mr. Penney among fabrics, notions, and patterns. Mmmmmm….I can still smell that department-store-air; and, the happy chattering-sound of shoppers remains safely stored in my memory. 

Of course, I had a dress code that held to modesty and professionalism.

So, each weekend, I enthusiastically “dressed for work.” 

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I’ve spent a lot of time on the fact that if we’re going to live in this world as social misfits, holy oddballs, peculiar pilgrims, we must dress for work.

Each day we get up and “put on Jesus,” then get after the mission and ministry of the Kingdom.

Ah, but, what does our work look like? 

Well, the Apostle Peter spells that out for us and covers every aspect of life.

He discusses our role within the church; the government under which we live; as workers under a boss; as wives and husbands; closing with “and all the rest of you…”

Peter’s pretty straight forward: 

Be subject to one-another and serve one-another.

In other words, Peter tells us our main job is to one-another one-another as we work for the Kingdom. 

After all, the goal is to bring others along with us to our heavenly home and one-anothering is the best way to do so. 

As exiles we are to make exiles (OK…disciples, we’re to make disciples). 

There are a lot of one-another-instructions in the Scriptures, but Peter's letter encompasses just two.

1. Be Subject to One-Another

Here’s what Strong’s Dictionary says about this Greek word, hupotasso:

A Greek military term meaning "to arrange in a military fashion under the command of a leader.” In non-military use, it was "a voluntary and willing attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.”

It’s about honoring those in positions of leadership (giving due respect to the position, if not the person), showing love, having a tender heart, and a humble mind-set. In this, we fear God. 

Bottom line: eagerly get in line to do the work which the Lord has assigned you to do. 

2. Serve One-Another

Again, Strong’s Dictionary for the Greek word, diakonos: to be an attendant; one who waits on another; one who executes the commands of another. 

A "diakonos" performs his/her duties with a willing attitude of joy and acceptance. 

Just an observation - I don’t think we much like these two word-sets. 

In this day and age, they rub us the wrong way, because we fear being taken advantage of. We fear the abuse. 

I understand. There seems to be a lot of abuse to those who one-another in these ways.

However, Peter, influenced by the Holy Spirit, would tell us by way or reminder:

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God (1 Peter 2:12)…

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God (1 Peter 2:16).

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Work as Jesus worked; serve as Jesus served; submit as He did….even unto death. 

So, this is our work (according to Peter): 

MAKE A PREDETERMINED CHOICE TO WILLINGLY GET IN LINE TO SERVE OTHERS.

And, I have to ask myself is this my mindset each morning after I "get dressed for work?" 

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For a complete list of "one another's a .pdf has been attached if you will click on this link. 

What Does It Look Like to Put on Jesus

I don't often re-write a past blog, and if I do, I have an unspoken rule with myself that it will never be a recent post. 

However, I want to do just this.

Rewrite (sort of) a very recent post from September 25th (the original can be found here). I, also, recently published it in the recent edition of my book Please Don't Send Me to Africa (on Amazon).

This entire entry is based on a memory that popped up back in September as I sifted through old photos.

They were mostly taken during the season I call "the Africa years," when our family served at Rift Valley Academy (RVA) in Kenya.

The picture spot-lighted our youngest daughter, Mandy (age 6), onstage at an all school talent show. She'd spontaneously agreed to perform her favorite chorus, "Jesus Be Jesus In Me." 

Jesus, be Jesus in me.

No longer me, but Thee.

Resurrection power,

Fill me this hour.

And, Jesus, be Jesus in me.

As I held onto that little photo, my heart echoed those lyrics in prayer, as they have many times over the years.

And, I know, that same train of thought has been the cry of many a disciples soul.

As mentioned last week, Paul wanted it for himself and for those he'd mentored:

 Imitate me as I imitate Christ .

(1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 5:1)

Oh, how I want for Jesus to be Jesus in me! 

For me to live like Him...

But, this was the question I posed in that particular blog post -- it floated onto the landscape of my mind like a foggy mist arrives on the shores of the Pacific ocean: 

Which Jesus do you want to live in you?

The question surprised me.

"Well, the Jesus of the Gospels, of course!"

While that answer seems obvious, I recognize that the Jesus people think of today often looks very different from the Jesus of Scriptures (how you view Him depends on who you ask).

We humans have a tendency to recreate Jesus into our own image, according to our own desires, politics, whims, and opinions.

But, the Jesus I want living through me, doesn't vary from the portrait painted for us in the Gospels. This is the Jesus I desire to have shine His light in me and out of me. The Jesus I pray will daily transform me so I act just like Him.

Oh, that He will ultimately conform me to His image (see Romans 8:28-29), because the Jesus of the Gospels:

Led with humility, always serving.

Lived love through sacrificial giving.

Never demanded His own rights, but sought to uplift "the other."

Cared for the "least of these" as He met needs: healed the sick, fed the hungry (out of His own resources), welcomed children, visited those in prison...

Didn't ever attempt to transform culture ("give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar"), but desired, above all, to transform hearts (think how culture shifted after His death).

Spoke truth boldly, confronted sin with love, respect and gentleness.

Resisted personal temptations and honored His Father's will, even when it was a difficult ask (think the cross).

Detested hypocrisy...especially among the "churched" - "Woe to you, hypocrites."

Unpacked Scripture so that all men could understand, find their way to the Father, and the eternal home he is preparing for them ("didn't our hearts burn within us," disciples said as they walked with Him on the road to Emmaus).

Knew His purpose and never deviated.

Always, always showed us the heart of the Father.

These are just a few of the things that come to mind, when I pray, "Jesus, be Jesus in me..." 🙏

So, when Peter tells us (in so many words) to "Put on Jesus," this is what he means. 

Get dressed for action by giving Jesus full-reign to live through us in these ways to the world.

By the way, these are the virtues of the Kingdom that really is our home.

How "Holy Oddballs" Dress

Recently my mind wandered back to sixth grade (which feels like a century ago).

That was the year school suddenly clicked for me. Until then I’d been an average student, but something changed when I walked into Mrs. V.’s classroom.

Every Monday morning the chalkboard held the entire week: assignments, due dates, tests, pages to be read — all clearly written out. We knew exactly what was expected in order to succeed.

And I loved it!

That year, I learned I thrive on predictability. Give me a clear goal and I’ll aim for it. From the moment I sat down on Monday, I got busy. I worked ahead whenever I could and usually finished everything by Wednesday (have I mentioned I tend to be an overachiever?). My grades rose accordingly.

The lesson I learned that year was simple:
Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.

I still like checklists. Rubrics. Calendars. Plans.
Write the to-do list on the chalkboard of my life and I’ll go after it.

Which brings me to living as a “holy oddball.”

Lately I’ve found myself wanting the apostle Peter to just give me the bottom line of his instructions:

Tell me what I have to do to live successfully as a social misfit for Christ and I'm all over it.

So, I sat down and filtered the rest of his letter through one statement in 1 Peter 1:13:

 Prepare your minds for action.

After wading through all his instructions — live holy, live reverently, live obediently, love deeply, cling to truth — it finally dawned on me:

Peter’s list is actually one line long, three simple words.

Put on Jesus.

Or to say it another way: imitate Jesus.

Paul says the same thing: 

Imitate me, as I imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). 

Be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1).

If Peter were writing on the chalkboard of our lives, he wouldn’t need paragraphs. Just one command:

MIMIC JESUS

The Greek word is mimetes — where we get the word mime.
To copy the actions of another so closely that their life becomes the pattern for yours.

And imitation isn’t passive. It assumes an active relationship.
You watch closely enough that you begin to think like them, respond like them, value what they value. It’s spending enough time with them that you live as close to their heart as humanly possible…

Which means Christian maturity isn’t mastering a spiritual checklist.

It’s knowing Christ well enough that, over time, His reflexes become yours.

So the goal isn’t memorizing more rules (that’s just legalism).

It’s walking so closely with Jesus that when life presses in, your first response begins to look like His (that’s love).

And, that’s the path of the holy oddball.

Is it a commitment you’ve made — not just to believe in Him, but to become like Him?

It’s exactly what Jesus asked of his disciples when He called them - and they knew it was an invitation to discipleship:

Come, follow Me.

(Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:17, John 1:43, Matthew 9:9)

Their response? ...and, immediately they -- left their nets, their boats, a lucrative tax collector's job, and some even left other mentors -- and followed Him -- in order to become like Him -- to "put on Jesus."

How do holy oddballs dress? They put on Jesus.

Get Dressed!

I spend far too much time each morning trying to figure out what to wear.  🤷‍♀️

First world problem? Undoubtedly!

Women's issue? Probably! 

For me, it's usually a combination of meeting the following criteria :

• wanting to fit the culture in which I’m currently immersed
• wanting to look nice for my husband (that matters to me)
• the weather
• what’s clean
• and honestly… my mood

Bay laughs, because I have this rule that nothing goes into a suitcase unless I've tried it on first. 

What if that piece of clothing mysteriously changed sizes between the closet and my packing cubes?

So, as we keep talking about "living as holy oddballs," the Apostle Peter surprisingly discusses getting dressed. 

Not literally -- but those first centuries believers knew exactly what he meant.

Here are his words:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

The literal idea of preparing your mind comes from a first century Greek word that everyone understood to mean: 

GET DRESSED FOR WORK!

Pull yourself together mentally.

Pre-determine your response.

Be ready before the moment comes (whatever that moment might entail)...

Peter goes on saying in order to get dressed for work, we also must:

BE SOBER-MINDED!

He's not talking about drunkenness  - he is talking about clarity of thought. 

Living awake.

Thinking deliberately.

Not letting anything cloud our minds.

Knowing what you believe; and, actually living accordingly.

Finally, he adds these three words: 

SET YOUR HOPE!

In other words — solidify your reactions, choices, and attitudes based on the location of your real homeland and its values -- Live out those KINGDOM MORES (you know, the essential or characteristic customs, behaviors and conventions of a community).

I'm reminded very much of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who:

 Resolved they would not defile themselves -- pollute their belief system (Daniel 1:8-20).

They didn’t wait for pressure to decide who they were or what they would do...

They dressed their minds for action first.

Everything we've mentioned (setting our hope, being sober minded, making up our minds) all require a preparation of thought.

So I’m adding something new to my morning routine.

Along with choosing what clothes I'm wearing for the day…

I’m fixin' to get dressed in whatever Peter tells me to wear: 

"Keeping in mind dressing my mind for Kingdom work..."

And, I know this one thing - whatever he suggests, it will cover all the necessary criteria I look for in an outfit.

(Next week we’ll talk about what Peter says to actually wear.)

But, here's Peter's rule of thumb:

Dress your mind with clarity of purpose for living as a Holy Oddball in today's world...dress for the Kingdom work not the world.

Here's a reflection question: what does it look like to "Get dressed for working in God's Kingdom - to mentally prepare ourselves for what we might face in the world around us?"

Anchoring Ourselves Between Here and There

As a kid, I exchanged letters back and forth with my grandmother who lived several hours away (how old fashioned, right?).

We've lost the art of hand-writing letters over the years, with the speed of email and text messages. 

But, there was just something about receiving a little envelope in the mail with my name on it. 

It felt so personal...a gift...and through those letters I carried on a conversation with my gramma, that went on and on, until she could no longer write. 

In those letters, I received, not just words, or advice, or comfort depending on what I'd talked about in my previous letter; but, she sent me a piece of her heart.

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It feels like we've been in a conversation that has kept us focused on Peter's first epistle.

Sometimes in the middle of a long conversation we need to pause and remember where we’ve been. 

So, you’re going to see a bit of review today from the last two weeks, because I don't want us to miss receiving a piece of Peter's heart for those he loves.

And, those people Peter loves? Well, they feel like they don’t quite belong anywhere (!!) — and honestly, that should be every one of us who claim to be a follower of Jesus.

It's simple, this world is NOT our home.

We’ve said it a few ways already:

• We are pilgrims, not settlers
• We will feel different (holy oddballs… social misfits)
• God never intended for us to fit in
• Our identity is exile — and strangely — that’s worth celebrating

Peter wrote to people living normal daily lives while carrying an abnormal identity: citizens of another Kingdom.

So, this will be our end goal: 

How do we keep walking through an ordinary world when we belong to an eternal one?

Thus far, Peter has instructed us to ANCHOR ourselves in three realities:

Our salvation
Our future home (obviously, heaven)
Our true identity

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Our Salvation

                                                                                                                                                                  

What a gift God has given us!

So massive the prophets strained to understand it.
They searched, studied, and inquired… but were told the fullness of grace wasn’t for them — it was for us.

Grace was their mystery; but it became our reality!

The mystery came to earth for us!

I honestly don’t think we’ll grasp the magnitude of salvation until we see Jesus face-to-face; but it’s important in the HERE, until we get THERE, to ponder it often.

Our Future Home

Heaven is not wishful thinking; it is a living hope.

And it’s not the gold streets or the pearly-white-gates that stir my heart with longing...

Two things do:

I will see Jesus — the One who stood in my place — and worship Him in person.

And every wrong in this world will finally be made right… and stay right forever.

Our True Identity

Salvation didn’t just rescue me — it redeemed me, transformed me, and renamed me -- 

beloved, chosen, restored, set free, daughter of the King...

But, as mentioned, MORE:

Set apart.
Different.
Holy.

(Which is why, we will never feel fully at home, because we live in an unholy world).

But, Peter tell us our immediate response to this is one that doesn't come naturally to any of us (and yet, it's something we can work on in the transition).

When we don't fit in: Rejoice. Jump for joy. Let it show...

Then he goes on with a P.S. 

“Oh, and by the way…

Don’t at all be surprised by suffering and hurt that comes from your new identity as EXILES, HOLY ODDBALLS…

…Trials will come at you in every size and color” 

So the real question —

How do we live with joy when life hurts because we don’t belong here?

Peter's going to answer that next.

But first, sit together with me as we examine this central, key thought of Peter’s letter that will become our ANCHOR in this world-thats-not our home. He’s telling us to get ready to employ these things:

Prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be revealed in Jesus Christ… and be holy in all your conduct. (1 Peter 1:13–14)

Next week we begin there, because to endure hardship, we have to cultivate our conduct…and that starts in the mind.

In the meantime…

Look closely at the words in those two verses.

Define them.

Turn them over in your mind.

What do you think Peter's trying to tell us? 

We’re about to learn how exiles actually live.