Daily Devotional for Tuesday 15th October
Living away from home
‘This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.’ So, goes the words of a hymn written in 1919, which reflects the first verse of today’s reading where, in verse 11, we are described as ‘as foreigners and exiles. Then in the verses that follow, Peter describes how we as Christians should live in today’s world.
Whereas Peter was living in a very pagan society, with the Emperor Nero increasingly antagonistic towards Christians, here in the UK we have a more sympathetic government towards Christianity. This is partly because for many hundreds of years the Christian church has been a major influence on society. However that influence has been declining fast in recent years, and in some quarters of our society, people are openly critical. This all means that what Peter writes is of increasing importance to us.
Peter’s message is first of all one of respect for our Government and the law of the land. We shouldn’t be going against the law of the land by being just careless or unthinking. The way we live our lives will be noticed by others and act as a witness to our faith. So our aim should be to live our lives in a way that brings glory to God. v12.
However there are limits, because sometimes what God requires of us can be in direct conflict with what the authorities demand. Peter knew about this and was imprisoned several times in the early days of the church. In some countries of the world, Christians facing persecution need wisdom to understand when to refuse laws which would mean denying God.
Time to reflect…
How can the church provide more of a positive Christian influence on our society today and what part can we play in that, particularly in our own limited sphere of influence?
Pause to pray…
Heavenly Father, we see the values of our society drifting away from Christian standards and sometimes being antagonistic towards Christian views. Through your Holy Spirit inspire the leaders of our Christian churches to speak your truth to our society and for ourselves show us how we can be salt and light to those around us. Through Jesus Christ our Servant King. Amen
