"Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (NKJV) Peter 1:13

Christianity can be considered the business of holiness. In spite of all our preoccupations and hustle and bustle of this fleeting life, nothing should matter to us more than to strive to be holy. It is written, “You will be holy, for I am holy (verse 16). Beloved, that is the requirement of He who is the Overseer and Captain of our souls; our ‘land lord’ in our eternal home.

But let face it brothers and sisters, trading in holiness in this world of uncertainty is highly risky. It doesn’t get any easier for the committed Christian who has decided not to deal in junk goods – sin. However, just as we know in finance, the higher the risk, the higher the expected returns.

The inspired writer Peter was spot on when he entreated the Christians in the dispersion, who were living in a world no different from ours, on what to do: “gird up the loins of your mind” This is a powerful metaphor that explains the disciplined mindset of the Christian, akin to how old women in Ghana tie up their money in their cloth and gird it around their loins. To gird up the loins of one’s mind in order to trade in the business of holiness, the Christian’s ‘business’ plan and guide is the Holy Scriptures and a deliberate, consistent prayer life. Until the Christian does that, s/he will always find the business of holiness a tough trade; s/he can never manage the risk associated with this business and what happens: s/he will divert to a less riskier secular alternative.

May the Holy Spirit, our ‘Chief Business Consultant’, continues to be our counsellor as we execute the business of holiness. Amen!

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