In Increasing Measure...

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness…For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness – knowledge – self-control – perseverance – godliness – brotherly kindness – love. 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.” 2 Peter 1:3-8.

Through the divine power of the good and glorious Creator He called each of us into existence in His ultimate wisdom. He didn’t leave us empty handed with only one foot to balance on in life but promised to guide and lead us through our knowledge of Him. So how can we attain this knowledge without knowing Him? Apart from Him it is impossible to know the love, the will and the knowledge of our future walk.

My grandmother was a perfect example of ‘making every effort to add’ all of these things. Her last year of life was burdened with cognitive decline in addition to the physical challenges for which she suffered. When Mother and Daddy moved her to the nursing home for better medical care she was still witnessing about God to the caregivers and nurses. Her ministry was not a building from which she served but her body was the temple where she testified about her Lord. She had every reason to become comfortable and satisfied in the faith she had developed over the years but she understood those three beautiful words in this passage – ‘in increasing measure.’

All the things of God and His knowledge will always begin and end in love. True love of which God’s word speaks is the out-going selfless attitude that leads one to sacrifice for the good of others. This attitude was my grandmother for sure as she laid there in her final days. She was neither complacent with her responsibilities to God nor her standing with God. Through those godly qualities she remained effective and productive in her knowledge of Jesus Christ and continued to make eternal significance in the kingdom up until her departure.

We cannot ever esteem ourselves as achieving finished faith on earth. Our life must be lived each day with emerging spiritual growth perpetuating the kingdom significance for which we were created. All efforts should be made towards knowing our God better and tapping into that power and knowledge for which He promises. God has no favorites – He just responds to and rewards those who take Him at His word and live their life for His purposes. Then we come in for the promise of accessing His power and using it for His glory in all circumstances.

God lays out the road - we simply must choose to walk.