Prepare for action

How many times after some conversation have I thought to myself, "I wish I had said ____________!" Or "Next time I'm going to remember tell him ___________!"

And when I think that, am I wishing I had given some word of encouragement from the Lord? Am I thinking about a testimony of God's faithfulness or mercy that I want to tell them about next time?

Well... sometimes. I hope it's true more often as I get older, that my mind is more often focused on how to bless others, to bear witness to the Lord's goodness, to speak words from him, in keeping with today's New Testament reading:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:13

Yesterday's reading tells us that angels long to look into the salvation that we have. Certainly we can rejoice in that, but that's not the whole point. Rather than just sitting on our laurels, Peter tells us here to "prepare our minds for action."

What might that look like? I'm not sure, but here are a few ideas that come to mind:

• Let my mind dwell on whatever is true, noble, excellent, etc. (Philippians 4:8)
• Pray and give thanks all the time (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, Colossians 4:2-3, etc.)
• Meditate on the Scriptures (Psalm 119:11, Joshua 1:8, etc.)

Of course, those things aren't easy, but at least they're concrete.

Sound like a good idea? I'll give it a try.