Life as a Pilgrim
For this world is not our permanent home; We are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13:14)
As Christians we live in a world that is not our home. We live as pilgrims on a journey in another land. If you want to know how to live the life of an alien, a stranger, a pilgrim, Peter’s letter will help.
We claim our living hope through faith, and we live the pilgrim life by submission. In fact, if there is one theme that stretches through this central section of Peter’s letter, it is submission. We need to be reminded of it again and again and again because we are an independent lot. The pilgrim life is a life of submission, which works directly against our nature. But where? When? To whom do we submit? Peter spells it out.
In government and civilian affairs. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king . . . or to governors” (1 Peter 2:13–14 NASB). If you have a president, submit to the president. In Peter’s case, they had an emperor. And what a monster he was. Nero. Yet Peter said, “Don’t fight the system. Submit.”
At work. “Servants, be submissive to your masters” (2:18 NASB). My, that cuts cross-grain in our day of unions and strikes and lawsuits and stubborn determination to have it our own way. Peter says, in effect, “Submit to your boss or quit!”
At home. “In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands”—and in order for that to work, “You husbands in the same way; live with your wives in an understanding way” (3:1, 7 NASB).
“In the same way” is a rope-like word that wraps itself around this chapter and part of the previous one, sustaining the thought of submission. A harmonious blend of give and take is what Peter has in mind here.
In the church. “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (3:8–9 NASB). Now isn’t there a lot of submission at work there?
My suggestion on the heels of all this? Work on a submissive spirit. Don’t wait for the media to encourage you to do this . . . it’ll never happen. Ask God, if necessary, to break the sinews of your will so that you become a person who is cooperative, submissive, harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly or sisterly, kindhearted in every area of this pilgrim life.
Taken from Hope Again by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1996 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com
