Daily Devotion

“Scripture lays down no absolute standards. On the one hand, it gives no encouragement to an austere and negative asceticism, for it does not forbid the possession of private property (Acts 5:4), and it commands us to enjoy with gratitude the good gifts of our Creator (e.g., I Tim. 4:1-5; 6:17). … Every Christian should be content with the necessities of life (I Tim. 6:6-8), but every Christian must make his own conscientious decision before God where he draws the line between necessities and luxuries.”

John Stott · The Lausanne Covenant: An Exposition and Commentary (Lausanne Occasional Paper 3, 1975), on paragraph 9

Scripture

1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, as strangers and exiles, I urge you to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Reflection

Peter reminds us that we are sojourners and temporary residents, which is not a denigration of this life, but a correction of our position. Sojourners use the world without being bound by it; only those who settle place their security in possessions, relationships, and achievements. When I forget that I am merely passing through, I become anxious about loss, proud of what I have, and more easily succumb to the desires of the flesh. Recognizing my identity as a "stranger" teaches me to let go, to practice self-control, and to re-place my hope in eternity.