We are home with a sick boy this morning so I am thankful for NorthpointOnline.tv to catch Andy Stanley and have some quiet time to rest and reflect.
Making my life count, hearing "well done good and faithful servant" at the end of my life, living a life that is fruitful and makes the world a better place, that is obedient to God's calling and purpose for my life...this is where my heart is these days and where I am struggling to match my reality with what I know in my heart to be true. Many days I fall short of doing anything but living a comfortable, self-absorbed life. This is NOT my heart's desire. And so a few weeks ago in church when we studied this scripture in 2 Peter 1: 3-8 I was LIT UP inside, as if reading it for the first time.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Effective and productive in this life and in my knowledge of who God has called me to be, in light of what He has done for me...isn't it what we all want? To live lives that count for something, that have eternal value after we are gone from this earth, lives that leave a legacy and are not in vain? Right there it is. The secret to ensure our lives will count is to add to my faith: goodness (doing what is right), knowledge (of God and our world by reading the Bible), self-control (being disciplined even with those things that are acceptable but not necessary or helpful), perseverance (pressing on when the day is long and I am tiring of giving my best to those around me), godliness (acting out the response to what would Jesus do), mutual affection (caring for those around me and putting others first, loving my neighbor as myself) and LOVE.
Now, this is easier said than done. I've had to re-read this passage everyday, a few times a day, over the past three weeks, just to remember what it is I am supposed to be focusing on. Oh boy, I have a long way to go, but REGARDLESS OF MY CIRCUMSTANCES I can work on this. No matter if I am at work or staying home, no matter if I am living in a big city or a small town, no matter if I come in contact with hundreds of people a day or just 1, no matter if I have a sphere of influence over lots or just a little, no matter if I am happy with my circumstances or frustrated...we have a playbook that can be applied all the time and ensure we are living lives that count. Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, love. God help me as I try to implement these across all facets of my life.
Making my life count, hearing "well done good and faithful servant" at the end of my life, living a life that is fruitful and makes the world a better place, that is obedient to God's calling and purpose for my life...this is where my heart is these days and where I am struggling to match my reality with what I know in my heart to be true. Many days I fall short of doing anything but living a comfortable, self-absorbed life. This is NOT my heart's desire. And so a few weeks ago in church when we studied this scripture in 2 Peter 1: 3-8 I was LIT UP inside, as if reading it for the first time.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Effective and productive in this life and in my knowledge of who God has called me to be, in light of what He has done for me...isn't it what we all want? To live lives that count for something, that have eternal value after we are gone from this earth, lives that leave a legacy and are not in vain? Right there it is. The secret to ensure our lives will count is to add to my faith: goodness (doing what is right), knowledge (of God and our world by reading the Bible), self-control (being disciplined even with those things that are acceptable but not necessary or helpful), perseverance (pressing on when the day is long and I am tiring of giving my best to those around me), godliness (acting out the response to what would Jesus do), mutual affection (caring for those around me and putting others first, loving my neighbor as myself) and LOVE.
Now, this is easier said than done. I've had to re-read this passage everyday, a few times a day, over the past three weeks, just to remember what it is I am supposed to be focusing on. Oh boy, I have a long way to go, but REGARDLESS OF MY CIRCUMSTANCES I can work on this. No matter if I am at work or staying home, no matter if I am living in a big city or a small town, no matter if I come in contact with hundreds of people a day or just 1, no matter if I have a sphere of influence over lots or just a little, no matter if I am happy with my circumstances or frustrated...we have a playbook that can be applied all the time and ensure we are living lives that count. Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, love. God help me as I try to implement these across all facets of my life.
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