1 Peter 1:14

Review:  We just read in the post before that we are to "get in the zone" by making our central goal in life our relationship with Jesus.  Just like someone who is madly in love with another.  This means not letting other things in this world get between Him and us.

"as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;"

~ 1 Peter 1:14

When children are growing up, the parents and community work together to help them learn.  This is because they lack the experience and skills needed to live well on their own.  It is easy to not just get hurt, but hurt very badly.  Children are ignorant.

When my twin brother and I were young, I was cautioned about crossing roads by myself.  Particularly in Joplin, MO where at the time we lived near a large and busy street.  We always crossed that road with our mother and never without her.  I didn't want to even try to go without her because there were so many fast cars.

After living there for a few months, we learned that there were large breaks between traffic.  So when mom had to stay at a doctor or dentist office for a long time one day, we were told we could go home by ourselves just that once.  We reached the place where we were to cross the street, he and I held hands, and waited for the traffic to disappear.  But for the longest time, break after break when we could have gone, we didn't cross.  We didn't want to get hurt.  Still we were old enough now to be careful and eventually we did.

Christians are similar to children.  Thrust into a world full of danger, our only hope to not get ran into by a large truck of bad things is to stay with Jesus.  But things around us might distract us and cause us to wonder away.  Ignorance is not bliss.  We have to keep our eyes on Jesus and trust Him to guide us as we learn and grow.