Pilgrims Are Not Impulsive

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” (1Pe 2:11 AV)

 

There is a connection between abstaining from fleshly lusts here and how the beloved Apostle addresses his audience.  Peter addresses them and strangers and pilgrims.  This phrase is used once more in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.  The writer of that book refers to Abraham and his descendants as strangers and pilgrims.  This phrase relates to the temporary nature of our earthly journey.  A pilgrim is someone on a journey to a more permanent place.  A stranger is someone who is not native to the place in which he resides.  The Gentiles who chose to live in Israel are referred to as strangers.  The thought here is the temporary nature of our life should be a good reason to abstain from fleshly lusts.  However, just the opposite seems to be our normal life pattern.  The more transitory we are, the more we tend to indulge.  The less time we have to enjoy a certain place or activity, the more we tend to experience as much as we can.  The fewer resources we have, the more we tend to squeeze out of them maximum profit.  We have time.  And a limited amount of it.  At least in this life we have limited time.  We are limited to twenty-four hours in a day.  We are limited to twelve months in the year.  We are limited to the length of our lives.  This stirs the desire to experience all that we can in the limited time that we have.  Yet, Peter’s advice is just the opposite.  Seeing as how we have limited time and resources, and the pleasure derived from the indulgence will only be temporary at best, then abstain from it.  Use your time and resources for something of eternal value.

Our lives are like a road trip with tasks assigned as we go.  There are tasks that come with the journey itself.  There are rest stops.  There are fuel stops.  There are stops from traffic or road work.  These are stops everyone needs to make.  But there are also stops along the way that are unique to us.  A waypoint or two that need our attention.  There are points along the journey that mark our progression.  Some of these waypoint are for our emjoyment.  Some are that we ught meet a need or accomplish something that needs tending to.  Maybe there are people we need to see.  Perhaps we need to pick up a certain item unique to that stop.  Maybe there is a historical significance to our stop which needs our attention.  Perhaps we need to divert off the main trail to avoid problems laying ahead.  Regardless, the journey doesn’t change all that much.  The destination is the goal.  Getting there is the point of the journey.  There is little time for exploration.  There is little time for frivolous fun.  We have a schedule and that schedule must be kept.  We may divert for a small matter, but the time frame of our trip is determined.  So, too, are our lives.  We have a trip to take.  Along the way there are things which must be done.  There are people we must see.  There are tasks that need tending to and things or people which depend on our faithfulness.  There is little time for personal indulgence.

The bodies we inhabit are temporary and falling apart.  Eventually, we will receive a glorified body that does not possess the ability to lust.  All desires will be per the will of the Father.  Our glorified state will only do that which pleases Him.  So, if it is going away, why please it at all?  What difference would it make?  We are short-sighted.  We have our eyes on that which pleases today while ignoring that which will be gone tomorrow.  A question often arises:  If we knew we only had one year left to live, what would we do?  That is a very revealing question.  Must state they would throw all inhibitions aside and pursue something they always wanted to do.  They would go on a world tour.  They would spend everything they had on a lavish lifestyle.  Some would do something so out of their comfort zone that all would be shocked.  It doesn’t matter if we have only a year left or an undetermined amount of time.  The reality is, whether a year or twenty, our time on this earth is fixed.  It is temporary.  To spend it for self is foolish.  To strive for the opportunity in which one might please God should be the desire of the saint.  This is to which Peter refers.  Our time is limited.  We are only here for a short time.  Our bodies will eventually rot in the grave.  So why spend our time and energy pleasing it?  You and I are pilgrims.  We don’t belong here.  We belong in the presence of God and His Christ.  Nothing in this world should lay hold of our hearts.  We should journey lightly.  We should avoid all distractions.  We are headed in an upward direction and keeping the flesh involved in the temporary is very foolish.