Hindrances

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:13

At work, I mostly sit behind a desk, but I occasionally have to step out into the plant and either explain a new product, or participate in building it. I love those days, but I’ve learned over the years to be prepared. I keep a hair clip, some old shoes, and an older t-shirt in the car or close by. It gets real hard to read a tape measure or run a nail gun with hair flopping in my face, and I often choose to wear nicer clothes on the very day that something comes up that pulls me out into the plant. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to complete a task while being hindered by annoying things that get in your way, and hair in my eyes is one of the most annoying things I deal with. Trying to keep my good clothes clean comes in a close second.

When we read “gird up your loins” in the Word, we understand that the hems of the tunic would be tucked into the girdle or ‘waistband’ to allow for freedom of movement during a strenuous activity. They were essentially getting the hindrances out of their way… so they could be about their business. When Peter instructs us to gird up the loins of our mind, he is telling us to prepare to work, to guard our minds, and get serious about our service to the Lord.

He continues in the 1st chapter of 1 Peter to instruct us to be obedient and to put away our former lusts, and to be holy, just as the One who called us is holy. If we are Christians (Christ-like), if we are children of the living God… we are to live like it. It should be obvious to anyone who looks at our lives, and the way to do that is to get the things that are ungodly out of our lives, and to get the things that keep us from serving Him wholeheartedly out of the way.

For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy Leviticus 11:44a

It doesn’t take much looking around in the current world to realize that we are at war. We are at war with the ungodly things of this world, but we’re also at war with our own carnal bodies. This world is not our home, and every day we live it is becoming more and more foreign to those of us whose citizenship is in Heaven. If we don’t bring our hearts, minds, and bodies into subjection, we have no chance of representing Him to a lost and dying world.

What we need to realize is that girding our loins, or preparing for work is something we do because of who He is. He has already done the the work. We are citizens of Heaven because He made a way for us. Now, we live in this world, His ambassadors, and our sole purpose is to point other people to the way He’s made for them, giving Him all the glory. We do that by being obedient, by sacrificing the desires of our carnal minds, and setting our minds on things above. That’s where the girding of our loins comes in… we have to remove the hindrances that keep us from working for Him. All the superfluous things that flutter around and grab our attention, keeping our focus on them.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

We have the biblical and historical evidence of the millions who’ve gone before us, and of their great faithfulness to the cause. Many who suffered far beyond anything we will ever suffer and still kept the faith, and worked tirelessly for our Lord. How can we not shrug off the bonds of these human bodies and not put Him at the center of our focus?!? Stories of persecution, torture and death line the halls of history and the Bible, and yet we struggle to make it to church if the weather isn’t fair? How small must our faith be.

Whatever it is, for you, that’s keeping you from serving the Lord with 100% of your effort: that’s what you need to guard against. It won’t be the same for you as it is for me. Whatever gives you pause when it’s time to serve the Lord, whatever makes you second guess your faithfulness: money, time, physical enjoyment, or even family ties, none of those things will matter in eternity. When I meet Him at the judgement seat, I hope to hear far more than “Enter in…” I hope that phrase is followed by… “good and faithful servant.”

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 esv