2 Peter 3:1-2

The Day of the Lord Will Come

3:1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,

2 Peter 3:1-2 (ESV)

Ok, I'm back.  Hopefully for good.  I've got some book reviews to drop on you in the next few weeks, and I feel like you should get some more original content and not just book commercials.  I'll try to get a post updating you on life here in a day or two, but for now, I wanted to share a few thoughts from the above verses in 2 Peter.

Peter here shares that he's writing to stir up his audience.  He wants them not just to learn, not just to sit and listen, but to respond.  Now, to be stirred up can be good and it can be, well, not-so-good.  Consider this:

1.  Stirred up hornets: not-so-good.  They are agitated and vicious.  I'm sure Peter sometimes stirred up people like hornets get stirred.  Now, if the hornets need to be moved, it's a necessary not-so-good.

2.  Stirred up chocolate milk: good. Otherwise, you have powdered NesQuik on the bottom, and weak flavor throughout.  Sometimes, we need stirred to blend in the things that have been added, to put them to good use.

3.  Stirred up casseroles: not-so-good.  If it's supposed to have layers, and you stir it, you can mix what shouldn't be mixed.  It's not totally destructive, but it can cause a few problems.  Of course, in the end, you can't eat it without mixing it, so you're going to stir it some.  Just realize, stirred might be practical, but it isn't pretty.

4.  Stirred up rice: good.  If you don't stir it, it sticks, the bottom burns, and the whole thing is wasted.  Guess what?  Sometimes we need stirred so that we don't burn on part of us and waste everything.  Same thing holds with a church as a group.

Now, that's some thoughts on stirring things up.  Two other things to consider:

Peter refers to the readers' sincere mind.  He doesn't seek to create waffle-minded folks.  He's not out for flimsy efforts.  He's out for a mind, a will, that is sincere, resolute, committed to the task.  That is what he wants stirred up.  Let's stir up sincerity and commitment in ourselves.

The other is that he is writing by way of reminder.  This is something that I need to keep on my daily list.  I'm not supposed to be creating new as a preacher so much as finding ways to help people remember what God has said.  It's important.  Why?  Because life isn't really about reminders.  I have an application on my Blackberry that serves to remind me what I need to get at Wal-mart.  I use it, it helps.  Do I celebrate the reminder program? Not really, I celebrate what it helps me remember: the things Ann wants me to get.  It strengthens my relationship, which is what matters.

The same way, I want to preach, write, teach, and live so as to be a reminder of who Jesus Christ is.  I want to stir up the will of people to be sincere in their following of Christ, and then fade, knowing their focus is on Him.

 

Doug