And/or

Further up and Further in: 1 Peter 1:1-2, 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:8-40

Verse: 1 Peter 2:11 – Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul. CSB

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it’s really hard not to fit in. It’s hard not to belong. And I don’t think I really understand how real the struggle is. I’ve never been the outsider. I’ve hardly ever been in the minority. I’ve never been an alien in a strange new country, a refugee forced to flee from my home. But, Jesus, that’s what it is to be a Christian. It means that I am a stranger here because heaven is my home. It means that my values are radically different than the values of the world. It means that my priorities in life are radically different than everyone else. Lord God, help to fight against being normal. Help me to resist fitting in. Lead me to live as your child, an alien and a stranger in this world. Amen.