Do you ever feel like you are somehow an exile? It is the feeling that you don't fit here. Leadership gurus tell us that when you feel like that in the work environment it might be a sign that it is time to move on. Or it might be the symptom of burnout which means it's time to get some rest.
Peter wrote a letter to some exiles to help them with the struggle of not fitting in and maybe even to help them avoid burnout. "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion..." What follows in his not-so-simple greeting was thick wonderful truth that can't help to cause us to feel hugely prepared for just about anything.
1 Peter 1:1–2
[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
"Elect exiles." What does that mean? The church is described in many ways throughout scripture. A body. A flock. A family. Here Peter teaches us the church is bunch of elect exiles. Elect because the church is made up of those who have been chosen. The church is God's chosen people. The word elect is supposed to make the church feel loved because if there is anything that a person chosen of God knows, it is this - they were chosen on the basis of God's love and mercy and not according to what they deserve. The word exile reminds the believer in Christ that this world is not their homeland. The church is waiting for a future home. The people of God are exiles. On one hand the Bible teaches that the Lord has given us "all thing to enjoy." (1 Timothy 6:17) But the scripture also reminds us that we are to put our "hope in God" and not wealth.
1 Timothy 6:17
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Why not put our hope in riches? Because we are exiles. Enjoy everything but don't get too attached to stuff! We have a much better possession to come. All of God in involved. The Father who loved us way back before we were even a thought in anyone's mind. ("according to the foreknowledge of God the Father") The Spirit of God who now is making us good - holyfying us! ("in the sanctification of the Spirit") And Jesus who causes us to trust and obey Him because of his loving sacrifice.
If you feel like an exile maybe it's because that is exactly what you are. But don't leave until it is time. Don't get burned-out and bogged down with the stresses of life. Hope in God, the Father, Spirit, and Son. You are loved, planned for, empowered and blessed with the brightest future. Here is the very next thing Peter wrote. Read it and be filled with a hope that is alive and eternal.
1 Peter 1:3–5
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (ESV)
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
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