“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” (1 Peter 1:17)
Have you spent any time in foreign countries? I remember being in Italy once and feeling very “American.” After a few days, my wife and I bought some Italian clothes, worked on our accents and a few Italian phrases, and tried to blend in a little. But we couldn’t hide; it was obvious we weren’t locals.
The day after you became a Christian, you woke up in a foreign country. You might not have felt it, and probably nobody could tell, at first. But your citizenship had been transferred to heaven, the kingdom of light. You had become a stranger here.
Peter wants us to live like we’re from somewhere else. He wants us to stop trying to blend in to our worldly culture. He wants us to stand out, trying harder to honor our King back home than the customs of this land. He wants us to remember that the King is watching, and he is a fair judge of our choices.
Think: Do you ever feel like a stranger in your world because of your commitment to God through Jesus? How can that be a good thing?
Pray: Ask God to help you live your life here in reverent fear for him.
Do: Listen to how the writer of Hebrews 11:13-16 expresses this same idea.