Add to Your Faith

“Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~2 Peter 1:5-8

Research shows that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. Step one is to become aware of your current practices and then to make the decision to change. Baby-steps are an important factor - don’t throw it all in the trash if you fail once or twice.

These verses are a checkbox for Christian living. It sounds a lot like the Fruits of the Spirit list in Galatians 5, doesn’t it? Peter admired Paul’s teachings, so it is logical that he would re-enforce those ideas. If you read the verses prior to this, it is clear that only God can provide these qualities, but why does Peter tell us to make the effort?

In the show called “The Good Place”, the angelic realm was hoping that if humans were prompted to do good things, their motivation would then readjust and their good deeds would become authentic. But they are missing the most important part - we can only become more fruitful when we are working alongside Jesus. He gave us the faith, now we grow and mature. Peter goes on to say that if we don’t keep growing, it’s like we are blind and have forgotten what Jesus did for us.

The Christian life is a partnership, an intimate relationship with Jesus, closer than any other. In fact, verse 4 tells us that “we might have our part in God's being” or “partakers of the divine nature”. That is almost too much to take in! We have that now! And I suspect that it is just the tip of the iceberg! Oh the Anticipation!

Bonnie
Blessed Be Boutique

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