After Peter’s “The end is near…” proclamation, he doesn’t leave us hanging and hopeless. Knowing that we have a huge task ahead of us, he gives us the pep talk of our lives, outlining the exact steps we need to take to live dangerously in the waiting. I Peter 4:7-11
- Pray– Mentioned first, prayer should be the precursor to any decision we make and the first reaction to every circumstance. Talking to God provides us with clarity and insight; I like to think of it as the “look” before the leap.
- Love– God intended for us to have loving relationships—to live in community. You can’t live dangerously as a loner, you need to surround yourself with a loving community to support you as you seek to fulfill God’s plan and vision for your life.
- Serve– Don’t be scared of your gift, don’t hide it or fail to use it because you’re afraid others are better than you are in your area of gifting. Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 15:14-30? The servant who buried his gift had it taken away. Instead, be confident that you have been given a gift for such a time as this, stay focused and use it.
So, the end is near + here’s how to live in the waiting = what does that mean for us as individuals?
The task of evangelizing and ministering is weighty, a great undertaking. Time is ticking, and the unproselytized have everything to lose.
The less you have to lose, the less risky you play it. If you truly believe that the Word of God is more powerful than a two edged sword, able to change lives completely, would you treat it any differently? Many have believed so fiercely in the power of this document that they have invented ways for it to be accessible to more people around the world than in any other time in history.
We have been called live dangerously as we relentlessly spread the truth in the Word of God to every corner of the earth. Adding drama to the mission is the fact that the end is near! But if we are individually and collectively praying, loving, and serving, then we are not alone in our adventure.
Peter ends with “So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.”
That is reason enough for me to passionately live out the adventure.
What is the vision God has given you for your life, and what would it look like for you to live dangerously?
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Been living dangerously ever since I first met you! Remember the medicine I brought to Russia for the children’s hospital? Then had an M16 pointed at my head in Nicaragua, caught in a hurricane aboard a 727 in Costa Rica, poisoned on pork in Peru, caught Russian Born Tuberculosis in Poland, and was injured in a skit in Guatemala. And you thought the corn in the nose was a great story! Still laughing about your stories you shared in Vladivostok! Be blessed live bold brother the time is SHORT!The harvest is white and the workers are few! Love & prayers, Kathy