This past summer Peggy bought me an MP3 player so I can listen to music in my car (my radio antennae is broken). I was taught how to turn it on and press “play.” And that was wonderful, but over time I needed to learn more about it. That was when my two sons gave me lessons on all the things this handy, little device can do.
Nearly fifty, a former school teacher, a pastor, and I was learning from my teenage sons. Before this there was little they could teach me, but now they can teach me things. Why? Because they know things I do not. They have experiences they can share and information they can impart.
Similarly, with this letter Peter is encouraging believers all over the area to share their faith. How are these people special? What were they before? What are they now? Do the same statements apply to you?
It can be so frustrating to see a congregation in front of me every Sunday and know that when they leave the church so many will take their faith and hide it in a pocket like a folded piece of paper. When I encourage laity to be part of a ministry – any ministry – I still hear “I can’t do that. How could I do that?”
We are no longer “nobodies.” Once we were not a people, but now we are a people. And what a great and wonderful people we are! We are the people who have experienced firsthand God’s mercy and grace and forgiveness. Who could be a better witness for God than you?
Christ died for you. He knew you and he died for you, willingly sacrificing himself in love. He did it just for you. You are a chosen person, part of a group of chosen people. You are part of a priesthood. All Christians are part of this priesthood.
And what are you supposed to do? You are supposed to declare the praises of our Lord Jesus.
We can celebrate our history. We can celebrate our past. But we need also to celebrate our future and who we are. We are a royal priesthood called to declare the praises of God.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Look in a mirror and say out loud “I am a chosen person, a royal priest. I belong to God.” I know it seems silly, but do it anyway.
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