Like Living Stones

So, somewhere around 1:30 a.m. last night (or, this morning), I was lying in bed, wide awake, when I decided that, if I wasn't going to be sleeping, I might as well do something productive.  So, I pulled out my Bible and elected to open to 1 Peter.  What a great choice!


Basically, Peter wrote this letter to a whole bunch of people who were going through major crises in their lives (like dealing with Roman Emperor, Nero, who was not a nice guy), to offer them some encouragement.  It's so great, even for someone who has got it pretty good, like me.  In fact, I've got it really good.  Life isn't perfect, and there are daily challenges that I must face, but my life is not perpetually under threat, food is easily attainable, and my home is safe and happy, so that puts me several legs above anyone to whom Peter initially wrote (and lots of my contemporaries, too, by the way).


Still, even with my life of ease, I feel like Peter offers so many helpful nuggets of wisdom in his letter.  And, he speaks much more directly than Paul, which I always appreciate.  Here are a few things that stood out to me:


"Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Pet. 1:8-9)"


"You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish." (1 Pet. 1:18-19)


"like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house" (1 Pet. 2:5a)


"Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing." (1 Pet. 3:8-9) 


I literally could've put the entire letter here--it's that great!  I just think it's really helpful to read these sort of things.  In the same way that most teenagers don't think their parents ever went through the same problems that they now face, I think that there's a tendency for Christians to believe that the troubles that we face today are so different and/or so much worse than the problems that Christians have faced through the ages.  But, if that were true, then it would be much harder to find relevance in Scriptures, wouldn't it?  And yet, here I am, in today's culture and with today's issues, finding a world of encouragement and hope and relevance in something that was written nearly 2000 years ago.  I am not alone--I am never alone.