Scripture:  I Peter 1:13

“Wherefore gird up the loins of the mind; be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Yesterday, we began discussing spiritual preparation.  We must wrap up, tighten up, and equip our minds and be ready for action or movement.

Our discussion began with the first area of preparation:

1.  Prepare for walking – we must make preparation for productive movement; believers must have a mentality of movement and growth; not one of stagnation and nonproduction.  Adam was commissioned in the Garden of Eden to “..be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth…” (Genesis 1:28)
2. Prepare for worship – I must adjust my viewpoint to be that of Christ’s view point.  Developing the mind Christ, gives us the opportunity to have the thoughts, mental fortitude, and emotional strength of Christ.  Christ’s mindset was one of servitude and love for others.  Philippians 2 gives us a clear picture of the mindset of Christ by giving us a blueprint of a Christ-like mind.  Only to remind us in verse 5 – “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”.
3. Prepare for warfare – In this life, there is an enemy that desires to change your overall perception of God.  He presents challenges that can often times make you question your belief in the principles of God and in His overall existence.  We must prepare for warfare as a soldier prepares for battle.  In Ephesians 6, Paul reminds us that the battle that we fight is not a physical battle and that we must arm ourselves with the full armor of God so that we an stand against the enemy in the evil days.  One reassurance in all of this is that we already have victory through Christ Jesus.  Remember that the battle starts in the mind.  You must equip your mind with the tools needed to withstand the thoughts, emotional rollercoasters, and depressive rants that it can be exposed to on a daily basis.
4. Prepare for work – This happens as a result of the preparation for worship.  As believers, once we have developed the mind of Christ we are ready for the work.  some of us want to put the cart before the horse and jump right in to ministry but our mind is not in it.  We function as robots serving but no heart or connection to what we are doing.  This dies out at some point.  But with the mind of Christ, you cannot and you will not go wrong.  You will accomplish the mission.  Philippians 2: 7 tells us a transformation that we should desire for us that Christ “…took the form of a servant…”.  We are then prepared for work when we think like Christ.  The work that you do is not representative of you and your abilities but of Christ within you.

The common theme that can be extracted from this lesson is that preparation begins in the mind of the believer.  It is not based on emotions that can fluctuate and change depending on the situation around you.  It is contingent upon your mind set of the mission.  Christ came with the mindset of His purpose and the importance of completing the assignment that God had given Him.

Are you prepared for the purpose for what God has for you?

What is your mental mindset regarding this purpose?

How have you prepared for your walk, your worship, your warfare, and your work?

Will you devote time to prepare for the mission?