Be Prepared for Your Purpose

September 8th, 2023
by Molly Epler

“Remember, none of us can be holy on our own.”

I Peter 1: 13-16 (ESV)

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. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy for I am holy.”

Reflection

Many years ago, my two sons, Jarrod and Benjamin, became Eagle Scouts. Most of their teenage years were spent going to Boy Scout activities. We all learned the Boy Scout's motto: Be Prepared. These two words were strung together in 1907 by Badden Powell, an English soldier who wanted young people to be equipped to react quickly in any emergency. The thirteenth edition of the Boy Scout Handbook states this about Powell: “His idea was that Scouts should prepare themselves to become productive citizens and strong leaders and to bring joy to other people. He wanted each Scout to be ready in mind and body to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges await him.”_[1]

So, how can we relate this motto to our Christian lives? We must “Be Prepared.”

Verse 13 of today’s passage says we should “prepare our minds for action.” I’m sure you’d agree that our lives are full of action, and sometimes it takes resolve and energy to act and react in a holy manner. But our conduct must reflect the holiness of God. We are all called to be holy as we are set aside for His purpose. We are not trying to live a holy life in order to earn our salvation. We can't do this on our own. We need help! The only way to be prepared to live our lives in a holy manner is to embrace the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us as a born-again believer of Jesus Christ our Savior. Some of the ways we can become more prepared include:

spending time in His presence
memorizing scripture
finding an accountability partner
recognizing that we will never be perfect
asking for forgiveness when we fail
understanding the need to decrease so that He may increase

Remember, none of us can be holy on our own. Like a Boy Scout prepares himself to be a “productive citizen” and “strong leader” to “bring joy to other people,” we as Christians must prepare ourselves to reflect the holiness of God. The more we surrender our lives to God, the more he can transform us into His likeness.

God wants us to live our lives as holy as possible. Are you prepared?

Action Steps

Do you feel you are making strides toward being holy? Think about why you may feel ill-prepared and write out your feelings.
Don't give up when you mess up! Challenge yourself to use some of the suggestions above to strengthen your desire to reflect God’s holiness.

Prayer

Lord, help me to desire to live a more holy life. You have redeemed me by Your grace. I want to be obedient to You. I want my life to reflect You in all I do and say. Give me the strength I need to be more holy. Help me to change the areas of my life that don't reflect Your holiness. I need You to help me “Be Prepared” for Your purpose. Amen. 

_{[1] https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/05/08/be-prepared-scout-motto-origin/}