1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Reflection
Many of us struggle to figure out the “next step” in our lives. If we’re in college, we ask, “what major do I choose?” If out of college, we wonder, “what job do I take?” Even with a job, we ask “is this really for me?” Frustrated, we ask, “God, what’s your will for my life?” Even if we struggle through these personal questions, we can be assured that God clearly provides the “next step” as we recall what God has done for His children. Once upon a time, we were not His children. We lived in darkness without love. But out of His mercy, He called us out of all that. Everything changed once the Spirit came and gave us a new identity and purpose for living. We are now His chosen and treasured people, called to be a royal priesthood and set apart to proclaim Jesus Christ.
Response
Our next step is to live passionately with a new identity as people who have been formed by the Spirit. It is the Spirit who makes us into the people of God. As part of the royal priesthood, let’s declare the praises of the One who alone can save us from darkness. Let’s also ask God to help us to love and minister to those around us.
