Thursday, September 7
Make every effort
Scripture: 2 Peter 1
2 Peter 1:5–8 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; 6 to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; 7 to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. 8 For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.
Observation
Peter called us to a continuous earnest pursuit of Jesus.
We are to always “make every effort” to add and grow and develop these characteristics: faith, excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, unselfish love.
If we add these in continually increasing measure, we will be effective and productive in our pursuit of knowing Jesus more.
Application
There is always room for growth. This is the adventure of being a Christian, of knowing and following Jesus. There’s more!
It is easy to rest on your laurels, to think you know enough or believe enough. But that is like dipping your bucket in the ocean and thinking you have the whole ocean. There’s more! That should motivate us to “make every effort” to add, to increase, to grow, to pursue.
Failure to do this may render us ineffective and unproductive, even if we’ve known the Lord a long time. I’m convicted this morning that I’m tempted to coast, rather than make every effort to grow.
I want to pursue Jesus more intently and keep moving up and to the right all the way to the end of my race! No coasting! Make every effort! There’s more!
Prayer: Lord, I love You and want to pursue You with all I have. Help me to make every effort and show me what that looks like for me.
More: Isaiah 13-14, Psalm 104, Hebrews 7