Build on What You are Given

 I love II Peter 1 because it assures us that once we know Christ, we have been given everything that enables us to have life and godliness. It all comes through our relationship with Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in us. However, that doesn't mean that we do not play a part in building up our lives in the Lord. We must not lose any time building on what we have been given. (II Peter 1:5) The Lord showed Peter just what we need to do to build a strong life in the Lord. Let's look at each dimension which must be built into our lives, and let's remember they all work together to complete us.

We begin with basic faith. That is what it takes to become a Christian. We exercise our faith to put our trust in Jesus to be our personal Lord and Savior as we turn away from sin and to the Lord. Then, we must build on that sure foundation good character by beginning to practice what God says in His Word faithfully. The more of the Word we learn the more spiritual understanding we will have if we listen to the Holy Spirit, our Teacher. The more we grow the more alert discipline we must build into our lives. We must say no to the wrong things and yes to the right things, and fill our lives with God's will, not ours. Of course, we will need passionate patience to really become like Jesus, trusting Him and His timing all the way. We still need more reverent wonder for the things of God, and then, we build into our lives warm friendliness, because our relationships with others are vital to our growth. Finally, we are completed when we can add generous love like God has for everyone. I hope we can see how each one builds on the previous dimension, and how they all work together to make our lives strong spiritually. I'd say we have plenty to do, wouldn't you?

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Tomorrow, I intend to read II Peter 2-3 and I John 1..