Peter is probably writing this letter to a group of people who are suffering--who are scattered from their homes and not comfortable in the world in which they live. And, I think, for those who are not scattered, it was perhaps even harder because they are Christians, trying to live holy lives, in the midst of people they know who find them odd or worse.
I do know this feeling. When I was applying to colleges, I insisted on two things. First, I wanted to go someplace where there was a strong Christian presence. Second, I wanted to go someplace far away from where I was from. I hated high school (and junior high, and elementary school...). At my high school I was one of maybe two dozen openly practicing Christians at a high school of 1200 students. We were outcasts and frequently treated as such. When I went to college, I wanted to get as far away from that as I could.
Peter's instructions for living as a Christian outsider are not for the faint of heart. He instructs us to be holy. He tells us to set our hope completely on the grace given to us by God so that we can reject worldly things. In essence, he instructs Christians to run counter to peer pressure by placing our focus on obedience to God. For most people I would venture to guess that is easier said than done.
These instructions are difficult, but not impossible. As Peter reminds us, we have something in addition to mere flesh and blood. We have a new birth, an imperishable seed, and the enduring word of God. That's definitely a good start.
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