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彼得的这些话让我想起在各类运动、音乐项目、戏剧、舞蹈等方面的训练和练习的必要性。运动员、音乐家、演员、舞者和其他人都在练习和训练，好在比赛或表演的时候，他们已经准备好。

彼得的建议有点像对罗马帝国的早期基督徒的鼓舞士气的话。他写信鼓励他们将颂赞归给神，并专注于神在基督里所应许的所有美好事物。神“曾照自己的大怜悯，藉耶稣基督从死里复活，重生了我们，叫我们有活泼的盼望”——这其中包括了“不能衰残……的基业”。（参彼前 1:4）知道一些基督信徒因为他们的信仰而面临艰难和逼迫，所以他想提醒他们还有这些理由颂赞神。

我对宗教逼迫的第一反应可能是抱怨，诅咒世界，甚至质疑神的看顾。而彼得的应对之道是锻炼我们敬拜的肌肉，向神献上赞美，以保持灵里健康。换句话说，艰难时期需要训练，而我们可以通过赞美神为拯救我们所做的一切来进行最好的训练。

These words of Peter remind me of the need for training and practice in all kinds of sports, music programs, drama, dance, and more. Athletes, musicians, actors, dancers, and others all practice and train so that when the time comes to play or perform, they are ready.

Peter’s advice is sort of like a pep talk to early Christians in the Roman Empire. He writes to encourage them to give praise to God and to focus on all the good things God has promised in Christ. “In his great mercy,” God has given “new birth into a living hope” through Jesus’ resurrection—and this includes “an inheritance that can never… fade.” Peter knew that some believers in Christ were facing hardships and persecution because of their faith, so he wanted to remind them of these reasons to praise God.

My first reaction to spiritual trouble might be to complain, curse the world, or even question God’s care. Peter’s regimen is to exercise our worship muscles and to offer praise to God—to stay in spiritual shape. In other words, hard times require training, and we can train best by praising God for all he has done to save us.