Don’t waste the one life God has given you to bring glory to His holy name (1 Corinthians 10:31). Life is brief. It is not something that you can grasp, but vanishes like a mist (James 4:14). Like grass that withers after a short time or a flower that wilts soon after reaching the height of its beauty, so is your one life (1 Peter 1:24). It is here today and gone tomorrow.
In his first epistle to the churches, Peter goes to great lengths to instruct us how we should live our lives in a manner pleasing to God and worthy of His glorious name. We have only one life and will do well to heed the wisdom in this letter.
After emphasizing the brevity of our one life, Peter teaches us how to make the most of it. We begin by ridding ourselves of all wickedness, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander (1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 4:3). Beyond this, we must keep ourselves from all the fleshly desires that war against us (1 Peter 2:11). The onslaught of temptation is unrelenting, but we must stand firm in the faith and reject everything that is not of God (1 Peter 5:9; 1 Peter 5:12; 1 Corinthians 16:13). In every way, we must conduct ourselves with honor, so that we might compel those far from Christ to investigate His truth because of the way we live (1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 3:15-16).
The purpose of our one life is to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 4:11). It is all about surrendering our desires and wishes to the Lord and taking up His mission. Until we align our desires with His, we will waste this life living for ourselves rather than for the glory of God. If we live life for Christ alone, He will honor us in the eternal life to come (1 Peter 2:6-7). Trading eighty or ninety years of sacrifice for an eternity of honor is a deal we would be foolish not to accept.
An uncomfortable truth is we will suffer throughout our one life (John 16:33; Philippians 1:29). Suffering is our calling (1 Peter 2:21). Knowing this, it is important we suffer for the right reason (1 Peter 3:17; 1 Peter 4:14; 1 Peter 4:16). If we suffer for breaking the law, sticking our nose in other people’s business, or doing evil, then our suffering is not only in vain, it is stupid because we are disobeying God’s commands (1 Peter 4:15; John 14:15). When you suffer for Christ, make sure you do it well. Don’t hurl insults at your persecutors or wish ill on them. Endure your suffering as Jesus did (1 Peter 2:21-23).
Jesus gave His life as an atonement for our sins, so must walk in the righteousness of this selfless act of love for us (1 Peter 2:24-25). Love your brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Peter 3:8-9; 1 Peter 4:8-10; John 17:21). Don’t waste your one life quarreling over insignificant matters, but spend it spreading the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. He surrounds them with favor like a shield (1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 5:12). But the face of the Lord will be against us if we do not keep our tongues from evil and our lips from deceit, if we do not seek peace and turn away from evil (1 Peter 3:10-12).
If you want to maximize your one life on earth, don’t fear the things the world does (1 Peter 3:14). Instead, set apart Jesus as Lord in your heart. Study His Word and always be ready to share the gospel and defend what you believe (1 Peter 3:15). Be self-controlled, clear-headed, and sober-minded in your prayers (1 Peter 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8). We must make the most of our time in this one life because the days are both short and evil (Ephesians 5:15-16). Don’t waste your one life living like the world (Romans 12:2). Be set apart, diligent in doing good for the sake of the Lord, and bring glory to our God and King (1 Peter 2:12; Matthew 5:16).